Epiphyseal Stimulation

¹ From the Department of Orthopedics, Mount Carmel Mercy Hospital, Detroit

Twenty-six cases of stimulation of the distal femoral epiphysis with a long-term follow-up were reviewed. The shortest follow-up was eleven years and the longest sixteen years. Sixteen or 62 per cent met the minimum requirements for successful surgery of reversal of the increase in length discrepancy and a minimum of a 1.25-centimeter improvement. The greatest improvement was 5.95 centimeters after two restimulations.

The better responses occurred in patients operated on before the age of eight years. Those with the original condition arrested or improved tended to retain their stimulation gain. The procedure may be considered when looking for modest gains in children who are too young for epiphyseal arrests and whose discrepancies are not enough for bone-lengthening procedures. Occasionally, a patient, especially if restimulated, can show a very gratifying result.

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