The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Vol 63, Issue 2 209-215, Copyright © 1981 by Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Inc
Leg-length discrepancies in monoarticular and pauciarticular juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
S Simon, J Whiffen and F Shapiro
A retrospective study was performed to determine the course of limb-length
discrepancies occurring in patients with monoarticular and pauciarticular
juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Data were assessed on thirty-six patients
followed to skeletal maturity, on fifteen patients who had not reached
skeletal maturity but who had been followed for four years or more, and on
forty-nine patients followed for three years or less. In seventy-two of the
total of 100 patients the onset of the disease occurred before they were
five years old, and ninety patients had involvement of the knee. All
patients in whom the disease developed before the age of nine had
overgrowth of the involved extremity, but that overgrowth never exceeded
3.0 centimeters. The major discrepancy developed within the first three or
four years and either increased very slowly thereafter, remained level, or
decreased. Of the thirty-six patients who were followed to skeletal
maturity, in twenty-nine a discrepancy of 1.5 centimeters or more developed
at some time during the period of assessment. Twelve of the thirty-six
patients had diminution of the discrepancy to the extent that epiphyseal
arrest was not required. Fifteen eventually had an epiphyseal arrest. Rapid
premature closure of the epiphyseal growth plate occurred only in those
patients in whom the disease developed after the age of nine years. This
led to immediate shortening of the involved side and on occasion to marked
limb-length discrepancies.