Overgrowth of the Tibial Shft following Fracture in Children

Chung, Yung Khee; Yoo, Jung Han; Lee, Dong Hyeon

Abstract

Longitudinal growth acceleration of the femoral shaft after fracture in children has been recognized since the late nineteenth century, Orthopaedic surgeons have attempted to compensate for the leg length discrepancy by allowing union to occur with some degree of shortening, but logitudinal overgrowth following fractures of the tibial shaft in children has been rarely studied. Thirty-one children, treated for fracture of the shaft of tibia, were studied prospectively to assess the consequent increase in longitudinal growth of the tibia. The material presented in this paper is the result of the study of thirty-one children with fractured tibia who were treated in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery of Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital of Hallym University, since 1986 October, the age of the child varied from 3 years to 13 years, these cases have been followed from 30 months to 40 months. We have made a radiologic study of fracture of the tibial shaft with a view to analysing the results according to a number of factors, including the sex and the type, site and degree of overriding of fracture, and method of treatment, and then the degree of overgrowth was compared with unaffected side. 1. The average tibial overgrowth following tibial shaft fracture is 7mm. 2. Growth of the femur was not affected by the tibial fracture.