Femoral anteversion in healthy children. Application of a new method using ultrasound.

Femoral anteversion (torsion) was measured in 219 healthy children aged 1-15 years (boys 128, girls 91). The hips and knees were examined using a standard static-image B-mode compound scanner. The torsion in each femur was calculated. The findings show: (1) A significant negative correlation between femoral anteversion and age (r = -0.43), with only 8-22% being accounted for by age (r2 value). (2) A significant correlation between anteversion of the two femora (r = 0.77). (3) No sex difference for femoral anteversion and its asymmetry. (4) Marked degrees of femoral anteversion asymmetry (more than 10 degrees) show a pattern suggesting a relation to age, side and possibly sex. (5) Abnormal femoral anteversion asymmetry in 12 children, there being an excess of children with orthopaedic symptoms and signs in the group with femoral anteversion outside 2 S.D. (6) A relation between anteversion asymmetry and foot length/tibial length ratio. (7) No relation of femoral anteversion to social class, order in family, parental age at birth of child, birth weight and presentation. (8) A significant correlation of femoral anteversion between siblings (r = 0.66).