J Korean Orthop Assoc.  1977 Sep;12(3):395-402. 10.4055/jkoa.1977.12.3.395.

A Study on the Growth of the Distal Tibio-Fibular Epiphysis in Poliomyelitis

• Kang ES
• Park BM
• Kim NH
• Chung IH
• Shin JS
• Lee KD

• KMID: 2461786
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4055/jkoa.1977.12.3.395

Abstract

This study is concerned with a comparison of lower tibial and fibular epiphyseal growth and deformities of the ankles in normal and paralysed children. The data were based on 87 children with residual paralysis due to poliomyelitis an 20 non-paralysed children who were admitted to Severance Hospital and Sam Yook Children's Rehabilitation Center. The difference in level between the lower tibial and fibular ends and between the lower epiphysial lines of the tibia and fibula in X-rays of the ankles were measured in order to investigate the growth pattern of the lower tibio-fibular epiphysis. The difference between the level of the lower ends of the fibula was an avergage of 15.3mm in the normal and 6.2mm in paraysed children. Thus the fibular ends in paralysed limbs was an average of 9.1mm less than that of the normal. The difference between the level of the lower epiphyseal lines of the tibia and the fibula was an average of 13.7mm in normal and 5.5mm in paralysed children. Therefore, the level of the fibular epiphyseal lines in paralysed limbs was sn average of 8.2mm less than that of normal. In paralysed limbs, the lower tibial epiphyses showed lateral epical wedge shaped deformities. The tilting angle of the ankles and the wedging angle of the of the lower tibial epiphyses were measured in erder to investigate the degree of deformities of the ankles and the lower tibial epiphyses in paralysed limbs. The tilting angle of the ankles averaged 1.3° in normal and 7.6° in paralysed limbs. The wedging angle of the lower tibial epiphyses averaged 3.7° in normal and 11.5° in paralysed limbs. In paralysed children, muscle strength examination was performed to clarify the relationship between the degree of growth disturbance and the severity of the muscular paraysis. This lead us to conclude that: 1. In paralysed children, the growth disturbance of the lower fibular epiphyses was greater than that of the lower tibial epiphyses. 2. The difference of the growth disturbance between the tibial and fibular epiphyses was not due to muscle imbalance of the foot invertors and evertors but to muscle weakness. 3. In paraysed children, the shape of the lower tibial epiphyses changed to a wedge shape, a deformity which might be considered secondary to growth disturbance of the fibula. 4. In paralysed children, the lower tibial ends were tilted upward and laterally. This was thought to be the cause of valgus deformities of the ankles. 5. The relationship between the degree of muscle paralysis and the deformities of the ankles was not proved in this study.

MeSH Terms

Ankle
Child
Congenital Abnormalities
Epiphyses*
Extremities
Fibula
Foot
Humans
Muscle Strength
Muscle Weakness
Paralysis
Poliomyelitis*
Rehabilitation Centers
Tibia