Management of partial growth arrest: physis, fat, or silastic?

A rabbit model was developed for the study of partial growth arrest and its correction by epiphysiolysis and transfer of physis, free fat, or silastic. Growth arrest involved half of the proximal tibial physis. Clinical, radiologic, and histologic studies showed that a physeal graft (from iliac apophysis) was superior to silastic in terms of correction of angular deformity as well as contribution to longitudinal growth of the tibia after resection of a large peripherally situated bone bridge. Interposition of fat yielded the poorest results.