[CHARACTERISTICS AND TRENDS OF CONGENITAL AND ACQUIRED LOWER LIMB DEFICIENCY IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS AT THE SHEBA MEDICAL CENTER].

INTRODUCTION

Lower limb deficiency in childhood has an impact on acquisition of motor skills. Information regarding the characteristics of this population was examined in several countries but not in Israel.

AIMS: To provide demographics, clinical and functional characteristics of children with lower limb deficiency in a pediatric rehabilitation department.

METHODS

Children with lower limb deficiency participated in this study. The study variables included demographics, and clinical and functional characteristics. The statistical analysis included calculations of frequency, chi-squared tests and correlations.

RESULTS

During the years 1998-2015 fifty-eight children with lower extremity deformity were treated/examined in the department (mean age: 6.46+4.70 years; girls, n=21; congenital deformity, n=23; acquired deformity, n=35). The most common congenital and acquired injury was unilateral leg deformity (31% and 35%, respectively). In congenital injury, multi-limb deformity (including an involvement in the upper limb) is more prevalent than bilateral lower limb deformity (p<0.01). In children with congenital deformity, longitudinal deformity is more prevalent than transverse deformity (p<0.03). Among children with acquired injury, in 40% the etiology was sickness-related and in the rest traumatic. Among the traumatic group, 57% of the injuries were terror-related. More than 50% percent of the children underwent a complex surgical procedure (34% and 22% among congenital and acquired injury, respectively). The ambulation level of the sample was lower than expected.

CONCLUSIONS

Children who received treatment due to lower limb deformity presented high variability in their characteristics and low ambulation level. Consequently, it is important to create and manage a register for pediatric lower limb deformity.