Secondary tethers after physeal bar resection: a common source of failure?

Despite a standardized operative technique and appropriate patient selection for physeal bar resection, a bar size less than 50% of the physis, and a prospective growth period greater than 2 years, failure may result. Limited growth because of poor function of the remaining physis and secondary tethers (incomplete resection or recurrence of the bar) may prevent reestablishment of growth or lead to its premature cessation. The current study investigated patients with insufficient restoration of growth by means of magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography or both.