What should you know about leg braces for bow legs?

Bow legs, also called genu varum, describe legs that curve outward so the knees stay apart when the feet are together. A gentle curve can occur during early growth, while an uneven, marked, worsening, or persistent curve may need assessment. A brace is an external support shaped to guide or protect a limb; it cannot correct every cause of altered bone shape. A clinician may examine walking, hip and knee movement, leg length, and the pattern of the curve before recommending one.

Do not buy a brace from a generic size chart without an assessment. An ill-fitting device can rub the skin, restrict movement, or place pressure in the wrong area. If a brace is prescribed, follow the wearing schedule, check the skin after removal, and keep review appointments so fit can change as the child grows. Comfortable shoes and ordinary activity are usually guided by the treating team. Paediatric Physiotherapy may help with movement, strength, and daily function, while an orthopaedic specialist decides whether bone correction such as Osteotomy is relevant.

Arrange a clinical review if the curve is getting worse, affects one leg more than the other, causes pain, leads to frequent trips, or changes the child’s walking. Seek prompt care after a fall or injury if there is severe pain, visible deformity, inability to bear weight, or a cold, pale, numb, or unusually swollen foot. These signs need examination rather than a brace trial at home.

Ask what is causing the curve, whether the pattern fits normal growth, how the brace would change movement, which skin or comfort changes should prompt a call, and when progress will be reassessed. Ask whether physiotherapy is useful and what findings would make a surgical opinion appropriate.