Leg Length Discrepancy Due to Loss of Femoral Antecurvatum After Elastic Stable Intramedullary Nailing of Diaphyseal Fractures of the Femur in Children

Panagiotis V Samelis; Eftychios Papagrigorakis; Theodore Troupis; Panagiotis Koulouvaris

doi:10.7759/cureus.6343

Leg Length Discrepancy Due to Loss of Femoral Antecurvatum After Elastic Stable Intramedullary Nailing of Diaphyseal Fractures of the Femur in Children

Cureus. 2019 Dec 11;11(12):e6343. doi: 10.7759/cureus.6343.

Authors

Panagiotis V Samelis¹, Eftychios Papagrigorakis², Theodore Troupis³, Panagiotis Koulouvaris⁴

Affiliations

¹ Orthopaedics, Children's General Hospital Panagiotis & Aglaia Kyriakou, Athens, GRC.
² Orthopaedics, KAT Trauma Hospital, Athens, GRC.
³ Surgery, University of Athens Medical School, Athens, GRC.
⁴ Orthopaedics, Attikon University Hospital, Athens, GRC.

Abstract

Limb length discrepancy (LLD) is a frequent complication after elastic stable intramedullary nailing (ESIN) of femoral shaft fractures in children. It is the result of either shortening or lengthening of the affected limb. A shorter limb is usually observed when there is no strict adherence to the main indication of the technique, which is a transverse or short oblique fracture of the diaphysis. A longer limb may be the result of either improper reduction and significant dissociation of fracture fragments, or stimulation of growth of the fractured bone of the child, known as overgrowth. We describe a potential third cause of limb lengthening after treating femoral shaft fractures with the ESIN technique. LLD may be the result of acute femur lengthening due to the loss of normal femoral antecurvatum.

Keywords: antecurvatum; children; discrepancy; elastic; femur; fracture; intramedullary; length; limb; nail.

Publication types

Case Reports