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2 cm
2%
38/2143
3 cm
3%
59/2143
4 cm
7%
140/2143
5 cm
10%
210/2143
6 cm
79%
1688/2143
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Pediatric distal femoral fractures are notorious for growth arrests and due to this patient's age and initial displacement seen in the radiograph, he is at very high risk. A rough estimation of leg length discrepancy can be made by assuming skeletal growth continues to the age of 14 in females and 16 in males. This patient would have an expected 7 more years of growth remaining in his distal femur. The average growth of the distal femur epiphysis is 9 mm/year, the proximal tibia is 6 mm/year, and proximal femur is 3 mm/year. Therefore, this child would be expected to lose approximately 6.3 cm of growth relative to the normal side. The cited reference by Stanitski et al. is a review article that discusses the assessment and treatment of limb-length inequality in children. They argue the indication for lengthening is a disparity exceeding 5 to 6 cm, as would be the case in this patient. Multiple options are possible for lengthening, including the use of an external fixator or an intramedullary rod.
3.5
(28)
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