Guided growth- best treatment for early stage of Blount disease, Study says

The study is published in the Journal of Orthopaedics.

There are no comparative study between guided growth and tibial osteotomy in early stage of Blount disease (BD). Hence, Beaudelaire RomulusAssan and colleagues from the Department of Pediatric Surgery, National Teaching Hospital Hubert Koutoukou MAGA, Cotonou, Benin carried out the present study to compare the results of patients treated by these two techniques.

The authors conducted a retrospective, descriptive, and analytical study over a period of 5 years in including 17 children (24 Knees) with an early stage of infantile BD in two centers.

Patient were classified in two groups: group 1(treated by guided growth), group 2 (treated by Tibial Osteotomy).

Preoperative alignment analysis using the tibial femoral angle (HKA) and the proximal medial tibial mechanical angle (mMPTA) were compared with three measurements taken postoperatively in each of the groups. The mean variations of the angles were compared between the two groups.

The following results were seen-

a. Socio-demographic characteristics were similar for the two groups.

b. Median age at surgery was 6.5 ± 2.5 [3–9 years] in group 1 and 6.8 ± 2.9 years [3–9 years].

c. At a follow-up of 24 ± 3.5 months, the limb alignment was significantly corrected (1,03°/month) in group 1 (median HKA 144°–171°; p = 0,001; median MMPTA 78°–87°, p = 0,018), and in group 2 we observed at a follow-up of 23 ± 15 months a progressive loss (0,52°/month) of the correction obtained immediately postoperatively (median HKA 160°–176°(immediate post operative) to 165,5°; p = 0,31; median MMPTA = 78°–86° (immediate post operative) to 80,5°; p = 0,37).

d. There was a statistically significant difference between the mean variation in HKA between the two groups (group 1 = 22,5; group 2 = 4,5, p = 0.00), as well as for MMPTA; (group 1 = 7; group 2 = 2,5, p = 0,023).

e. The rate of correction was 78% in group 1 with no rebound at a median follow-up after removal of the material of 10 ± 2.4 months.

f. Within group 2, the rate of correction was 10% with a recurrence rate of 60%.

Hence, the authors concluded that "guided growth appears to be the best treatment for early stage of Blount disease (BD)