Treatment of hemimelias of the lower extremity. Long-term results.
We used contemporary methods, including early surgical intervention (usually amputation) and prosthetic rehabilitation, to treat tibial or fibular hemimelia in thirty-three patients (forty-four limbs); twenty-four patients (twenty-nine limbs) had adequate follow-up, and their cases are reported here. After an average length of follow-up of sixteen years, all except two of the patients had an excellent or a good result. No patient had migration of the heel pad or a slough or infection of the skin, and only one patient needed a second operation. The Brown procedure was done on three limbs (two patients), but it always had to be supplemented by a corrective operation. We concluded that early surgical treatment and prosthetic rehabilitation yield an excellent result, not only for the short term but also for the long term.
Epps
C H
CH
Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Howard University Hospital, Washington D.C. 20060.
Schneider
P L
PL
D000671:Amputation, Surgical; D001186:Artificial Limbs; D002648:Child; D004188:Disarticulation; D005260:Female; D005360:Fibula / Q000002:abnormalities; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint; D007866:Leg / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D013977:Tibia / Q000002:abnormalities