ISO/TR 9586:1988

Implants for surgery — Usage of terms “valgus” and “varus” in orthopaedic surgery

Both terms have been in use for centuries but their meaning seams to have varied from time to time. The present usage has developed in a haphazard manner, such that consistent definition of the terms seems to be impossible. This Technical Report points out the differences in usage of both terms so that anomalies of usage, espacially in relation to the hip joint, may be clearly understood and confusion minimized.