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Background: Excess fat collections can occur all over the body. Some may occur from excess calories (e.g., abdomen) while others occur as part of one’s development. (e.g., arms) But regardless of its source, most fatty areas can be successfully treated by liposuction for contour improvement.

Liposuction of the lower extremities is the second most common area requested for treatment after the abdominal/waistline area. This is almost exclusively a female request and historically consisted of the inner and outer thighs. But as liposuction has become more advanced, contour reduction and shaping has extended to the knees down to the ankles. It is no surprise that successful lower extremity liposuction shaping works just as below below the knees as it does above it.

The knees may be a small body area but they have an important aesthetic role in the lower extremities. Being situated midway between the upper and lower leg, they provide an aesthetic breakpoint in the leg. Their inner and outer contours provide a break in the linear line of the leg. A slight outward curve of the knee provides an appealing curvature as long as it is not too prominent. When fatty collections of the inner knee become excessive, they are known as knobby knees.

Case Study: This 42 year-old female wanted to reshape her ‘knobby knees’. Even though she was not overweight she always had  prominent inner knees which stuck out.

Under general anesthesia, she had power-assisted liposuction (PAl) using a 3mm cannula performed on the inner knee. Fat removal extended upward into the inner thigh and into the concavity of the area between the knee and the upper calf muscle for optimal contouring. A total of 200cc of aspirate was removed in each inner knee.

The Inner knees is often overlooked or forgotten as a liposuction treatment area. In reality it is one of the most successful body areas to treat with liposuction because there is little chance of creating a contour deformity and there is also little risk of loose skin afterwards. Conversely the biggest aesthetic risk is under resection leaving too much fat and an inadequate reduction.

Highlights:

  1. The inner knees is a small but effective body area to treat wth liposuction.
  2. An aggressive liposuction approach to treating knee lipodystrophy is needed to make a visible difference.
  3. The area above the knee  as well as below above the calf muscle is need to create shape to the inner knee contour.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana

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