Conditions We Treat

Children can be born with a limb deformity or limb length difference. These are called congenital conditions. Limb development can also be affected from traumatic injuries, severe infections, benign or malignant tumors, or developmental, vascular, hematologic or neurologic conditions.

The Limb Reconstruction and Lengthening Program at Phoenix Children’s evaluates and treats children with many conditions affecting limb development and function. These include:

• Arthrogryposis
• Blount’s disease and other causes of bowed legs (genu varum): Blount’s disease is a condition that affects growth in the bones of the lower leg.
• Bone abnormalities
• Congenital limb differences:
  • Congenital femoral deficiency: Incomplete or abnormal development of the thigh bone (femur) present at birth.
  • Fibular hemimelia: Short or missing fibula (lower leg bone) at birth.
  • Tibial hemimelia: Short or missing tibia (shin bone) at birth.
• Congenital pseudarthrosis of the tibia: A break or nonunion of the tibia (large bone in lower leg) that doesn’t heal properly.
• Congenital pseudarthrosis of the clavicle or forearm: A break or nonunion of the clavicle (collarbone) or a bone in the forearm.
• Deformities, growth plate injuries or bone loss caused by previous fractures, infections or tumors
  • Post-burns contractures
  • Post-infective deformities
  • Post-trauma deformities
• Foot conditions such as:
  • Clubfoot
  • Congenital vertical talus: A rare condition, present at birth, that causes a child’s foot to be rounded on the bottom (sole).
  • Brachymetatarsia: A significantly shorter bone in the foot—typically affecting the fourth toe.
• Hemihypertrophy: Excessive growth (overgrowth) on one side of the body.
• Hip disorders including:
  • Hip dysplasia
  • Legg-Calve-Perthes disease
  • Slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE)
• Knock knees (genu valgum): When the knees tilt inward.
• Limb length discrepancy: When one arm or leg is shorter than the other.
• Neurofibromatosis
• Rotational deformities like:
  • Femoral anteversion
  • Femoral retroversion: When the thighbone twists outward in relation to the knee.
  • Tibial torsion
• Skeletal dysplasias
• Upper extremity deformities such as:
  • Radial clubhand: When the radius bone in the arm is missing or underdeveloped, causing the hand to bend inward.
  • Ulnar hemimelia
  • Madelung’s deformity: A condition affecting the growth plate in the forearm.
• Vascular malformations