Lower limb alignment

The alignment of the paediatric lower limb undergoes changes alongside normal skeletal development. It is important to understand certain angular changes with age in order to differentiate normal lower limbs from pathological conditions. There are two systems of axes that we can use to describe alignment: mechanical and anatomical. They refer to two different concepts and must be used separately. Both the mechanical and anatomical axes can be used to assess the location of a deformity and to gauge treatment response during growth.