ABSTRACT
Congenital dislocation of the knee may occur as an isolated deformity or more commonly in association with syndromes, such as Larsen syndrome or arthrogryposis. In a proportion of children with congenital dislocation of the knee the cruciate ligaments may be hypoplastic and stretched or totally absent. It is essential that adequate knee flexion is obtained and the hamstrings are relaxed in order to facilitate reduction of hip dislocation. Hence it is imperative that the hip dysplasia is recognised and the knee dislocation corrected promptly to enable early reduction of the hip. Serial casting for clubfoot deformity requires a flexed knee to relax the gastrocnemius muscle and the Achilles tendon to assist in correction of the equinus deformity. Thus, the coexistence of foot deformity similarly imparts a sense of urgency to obtain reduction of the knee in order to relax the triceps surae and allow correction of the clubfoot.
