Efficacy and safety of percutaneous epiphysiodesis.
BACKGROUND
The aims of this study were to evaluate outcomes of percutaneous epiphysiodesis, as described by Bowen, in 97 patients and to assess complications and determine whether the effect of the epiphysiodesis will accurately follow the Moseley chart predictions.


METHODS
A total of 97 patients were reviewed retrospectively. Fifty-six girls and 41 boys, with a mean skeletal age of 12.6 years (range, 10-16 years) at the time of operation, were followed up until skeletal maturity, a mean of 3.8 years (range, 1-10 years).


RESULTS
The mean residual leg length discrepancy (LLD) in 88 patients at maturity was 1.3 cm (range, 0-3.5 cm). In 9 patients, the epiphysiodesis was combined with a femoral lengthening or femoral shortening. The residual leg length discrepancy in these 9 patients was 3.3 cm at maturity (range, 0-6.5 cm). Minor complications including knee effusion (n = 2), superficial wound infection (n = 1), and exostosis (n = 3) occurred in 6 patients. Failure of the epiphysiodesis was the only major complication seen (n = 3).


CONCLUSIONS
This study shows that complications are infrequent when performing percutaneous epiphysiodesis and that the Moseley straight-line method accurately and efficaciously predicted the timing for percutaneous epiphysiodesis in all but one patient who had unpredictable growth from hemihypertrophy secondary to a hemangiomatosis.
Inan
Muharrem
M
Department of Orthopedics, Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Nemours Children's Clinic, Wilmington, DE 19899, USA.
Chan
Gilbert
G
Littleton
Aaron G
AG
Kubiak
Paul
P
Bowen
J Richard
JR
D000293:Adolescent; D000365:Age Determination by Skeleton; D001852:Bone Lengthening / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D004838:Epiphyses / Q000601:surgery*; D005096:Exostoses / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000601:surgery; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005544:Forecasting / Q000379:methods; D006391:Hemangioma / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007717:Knee / Q000473:pathology; D007870:Leg Length Inequality / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000209:etiology; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome