Linear growth in a population of children with myelomeningocele.

Short stature or total body length less than the third percentile for age was present in 51% of our children with myelomeningocele. It was particularly common in children with higher spinal lesions where 77% of the children with L3 and higher lesions had length measurements less than the 3rd percentile for age. None of the children with sacral lesions was of short stature. Associated musculoskeletal deformities of the spine, hips, and knees made total body length and upper to lower body segment ratio measurements both difficult to obtain and less than ideal parameters for assessing linear growth. Arm span measurements, however, were easily obtained in or out of braces and were greater than expected for length in 91% of children with short stature older than 3 years of age. This apparent sparing of arm span in many of our children makes it a valuable growth parameter when assessing linear growth and in turn an important diagnostic tool for the monitoring of total health in a population of children with myelomeningocele.