Impact on lower limb length following proximal femoral varus osteotomy for perthes disease

Proximal femoral varus osteotomy (PFVO) represents a key containment procedure for managing Perthes disease. Nevertheless, this surgical intervention may result in shortening of the affected lower limb or exacerbate pre-existing limb length discrepancy. The main aim of this study was to analyze the radiological data from a long-term follow-up of 20 pediatric patients with Perthes disease who underwent PFVO, and to observe and discuss the effect of this procedure on lower limb length. The results indicated that younger patients with Perthes disease who underwent PFVO exhibited smaller differences in bilateral lower limb length. Furthermore, patients demonstrated the ability to increase the neck-shaft angle reduced by varus osteotomy through growth regulation.