Hemiepiphyseal Stapling for Ankle Valgus in Multiple Hereditary Exostoses

If left uncorrected, valgus ankle deformity in multiple hereditary exostoses can cause significant disability in skeletally immature children and in adults. Various management methods have been described, including hemiepiphyseal stapling, transphyseal screw placement, fibular-Achilles tenodesis, distal tibial osteotomy, and ablative epiphyseodesis.

In this article, we report the cases of 3 skeletally immature children who had undergone hemiepiphyseal stapling of the medial distal tibial epiphysis for correc­tion of valgus ankle deformity in multiple hereditary exostoses. Correction of the tibiotalar axis, in relation to chronological and bone age, was evaluated.

Hemiepiphyseal stapling of the medial distal tibial epiphysis provides ipsilateral corrective potential while allowing staple removal for reversal of growth retarda­tion. This procedure is useful in the management of ankle valgus in multiple hereditary exostoses.