title: Arthrodiastasis for stiff hips in young patients.
abstract: Joint distraction (arthrodiastasis) with a unilateral fixator was used to treat 9 patients with stiffness of the hip which had followed Perthes' disease (3), epiphysiolysis (2), congenital dysplasia (2), tuberculosis (1) and idiopathic chondrolysis (1). Their average age was 14 years, and they all had pain, limp and shortening of the leg. Distraction of 0.5 to 1 cm was maintained for an average of 94 days. The average range of movement subsequently was 65 degrees compared with 20 degrees before. The articular space was widened by an average of 2.8 mm, and only 3 patients had pain on follow up.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, University Clinic, School of Medicine, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cañadell
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gonzales
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Barrios
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Amillo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001178:Arthroplasty / Q000379:methods; D002648:Child; D004839:Epiphyses, Slipped / Q000150:complications; D016267:External Fixators; D005260:Female; D006618:Hip Dislocation, Congenital / Q000150:complications; D006621:Hip Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000601:surgery; D007873:Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D011859:Radiography; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D014394:Tuberculosis, Osteoarticular / Q000150:complications