[Knemometry in the assessment of short term effects of growth hormone therapy in children with several growth disorders].
BACKGROUND
Knemometer is a non invasive device for measuring the leg length and evaluating statural variations otherwise not disclosed by means of Harpenden stadiometer. In several clinical conditions of short stature, knemometer allows to evaluate the short-term effect of growth promoting agents, as well as the role of infections on growth dynamics.


METHODS
The short-term (37-56 days) variability of the leg length in subjects with isolated growth hormone deficiency (1 case), Turner syndrome (2 cases) and Silver-Russel syndrome (1 case) treated with rhGH have been evaluated. The measurements were performed weekly by the same operator, at the same weekday and daytime.


CONCLUSIONS
The results show a correlation between intercurrent illnesses and growth failure, as well as a growth resumption at the end of the former, despite the etiology of short stature. Growth hormone treatment seems to exert an influence on growth only in the subject with GH deficiency, whereas a similar short term effect is not found in the cases of Turner syndrome and Silver Russel syndrome. This fact suggests that, also by knemometry, a most prolonged follow-up is required to evaluate the effect of GH on short term growth.
Guzzaloni
G
G
Divisione di Auxologia, Istituto Scientifico Ospedale San Giuseppe, Verbania Intra.
Grugni
G
G
Moro
D
D
Minocci
A
A
Morabito
F
F
D000293:Adolescent; D000886:Anthropometry; D001824:Body Constitution; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans
D013006:Growth Hormone
Impiego della knemometria nella valutazione degli effetti a breve termine della terapia con GH in bambini con diversi disordini accrescitivi.