Handedness was a more important factor in the amount of overgrowth
following fractures of the femoral shaft in children in the present study
than factors previously investigated. The lower limbs were measured and
handedness was recorded in 112 children who had sustained their fractures
fourteen to 101 months (mean, fifty-six months) before the study was
undertaken. Fifty-two of these patients also had scanograms. The average
overgrowth for all injured limbs was ten millimeters. The difference in the
amount of overgrowth which was observed was this: when the fracture was on
the same side as the dominant hand, the limb overgrew an average of eight
millimeters, compared with fourteen millimeters when the fracture was on
the side opposite the patient's dominant hand. This difference for the
scanogram group was statistically significant (p less than 0.05).
Overgrowth was significantly inhibited by overriding of fracture fragments
and was enhanced by distraction. The age of the patient and the type and
location of the fracture did not significantly affect overgrowth.