[The fate of children undergoing bone lengthening in congenital hypoplasia of the legs]

Abstract

This retrospective study was conducted on 26 patients, 14 women and 12 men whose average inequality prognosis was 8.5 cm. They have been reviewed after they were more than 20 years old (mean 23.8 y). Between 1962 and 1979 these 26 patients have had 38 lengthening procedures with various methods. The results were evaluated after clinical examination and X-rays. The average radiological discrepancy was 1.5 cm at the follow-up. On the X-rays, the deterioration was rare for the hip point, more frequent for the knee and very frequent for the ankle and the foot. If the socio-professional integration was satisfactory, many problems remained unsolved at the review. The matter was the aspect of the lengthened limb considered as unesthetic and ugly by 22 patients. 20 of the 26 patients had problems to put on shoes. On the other hand two patients out of three had a relative intolerance to effort, cutaneous troubles probably in conjunction with vascular and trophic insufficiency with many concern for the future.