Growth plate behavior after desepiphysiodesis: experimental study in rabbits

The aim of this work was to study the potential healing of the growth plate in the case of a central desepiphysiodesis. A central defect was made in the distal femoral growth plate of thirty 3-week-old rabbits. In group A the growth plate defect was left empty as control. The defects of group B were implanted with a polymeric cylinder fixed in the metaphysis with a pin. In group C the cylinder was fixed in the epiphysis. Two months after implantation, clinical, radiologic, and histologic analyses were carried out. In group A, the mean shortening was 12.63%; it was 4.9% in group B and 1.54% in group C. Histologic analysis showed constant appearance of an epiphysiodesis after migration of the implant in the metaphysis. No regeneration of the growth plate was observed. Prevention of migration of the interpositional material is recommended to avoid recurrence of an epiphysiodesis.