Eight plate should not be used for treating leg length discrepancy

Purpose The Blount staple has been widely used for treating angular deformities and leg length discrepancy (LLD) of the lower limbs. In recent years, the Eight plate has replaced the Blount staple for treating angular deformities in many centres. Although not described in the literature, it has been proposed that the Eight plate could also be used for treating LLD. We studied the effectiveness of the device for this indication. Methods Ten patients with LLD were included prospectively. Medial and lateral plates were inserted for symmetrical growth reduction and the patients were followed by radiostereometric analysis (RSA) 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 24, 52 and 80 weeks postoperatively. The error of measurement with this technique is less than 0.05 mm. Results Case 1 continued to grow an average of 0.08 mm per week (6.7 mm longitudinal growth in 1.5 years) postoperatively, while Case 2 showed 0.07 mm longitudinal growth per week (5.6 mm longitudinal growth in 1.5 years). The longitudinal growth, in both children, showed only slight growth retardation throughout the follow-up period. The study was interrupted and no further subjects were included after the results indicated that only minor growth reduction had occurred in both patients. Conclusion The Eight plate does not significantly reduce growth when applied both medially and laterally in a symmetrical way at the proximal tibial physis.