Search
genu recurvatum
hyperextension of the knee (knee bent backward) with forward curvature of the lower leg
Etiology:
- most commonly acquired condition secondary to changes of the distal skeletal joint alignments & compensatory movement patterns [1]
- may be caused by an abnormal fetal position inside the womb
- Osgood-Schlatter disease
Epidemiology:
- commonly acquired deformity found in many rehabilitation populations
Pathology:
- affects energy-efficient ambulation
- the thigh & lower limb segments move posteriorly in direct opposition to the anterior advancement of the proximal body mass over the fixed distal base of support [1]
Notes:
- may be associated with a rare birth disorder characterized by
a) painful menstruation
b) knees bent back
c) a uterus that is tilted backwards (retroverted) [2]
General
genu
hyperextension
gait ataxia
References
- Fish DJ and Kosta CS
Genu Recurvatum: Identification of Three Distinct Mechanical
Profiles
http://www.oandp.org/jpo/library/1998_02_026.asp
- Genu Recurvatum
WD: wrongdiagnosis.com
http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/medical/genu_recurvatum.htm
- Geriatric Review Syllabus, 8th edition (GRS8)
Durso SC and Sullivan GN (eds)
American Geriatrics Society, 2013