Due to copyright issues, an electronic copy of the thesis must be ordered from the faculty. For the faculty to have time to process the order, the order must be received by the faculty at the latest 2 days before the public defence. Orders received later than 2 days before the defence will not be processed. After the public defence, please address any inquiries regarding the thesis to the candidate.
Trial Lecture – time and place
See Trial Lecture.
Adjudication committee
- First opponent: Professor Emeritus John G. Birch, Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, USA
- Second opponent: Professor Ole Rahbek, Aalborg University Hospital, Denmark
- Third member and chair of the evaluation committee: Professor Harriet Akre, University of Oslo
Chair of the Defence
Professor II Per-Henrik Randsborg, University of Oslo
Principal Supervisor
Associate Professor Joachim Horn, University of Oslo
Summary
The recommended treatment of leg length discrepancies (LLD`s) between 1.5 and 5 cm in children is surgical closure of the growth plate (epiphysiodesis). The overall aim of the thesis was to identify the most accurate method for calculating remaining growth, the timing of surgery and evaluate the safety of the surgical procedure.
We have registered pediatric patients with leg length discrepancies in a local health register since 1992. Based on data from this register we compared the use of two bone age methods and the four most frequently used methods for estimating remaining growth and the timing of epiphysiodesis in children. Finally, we studied the frequency of angular deformities after epiphysiodesis. We found the White-Menelaus method for calculation of remaining growth and the timing of epiphysiodesis combined with bone age most accurate and easy to use. Approximately 1 in 10 children develop angular deformity. After surgery we therefore recommend close follow-up (first control within 3-6 months) of children treated with permanent closure of the growth plate, especially those with a high amount of remaining growth at the time of surgery.
Additional information
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