A randomised comparison of a foot pump and low- molecular-weight heparin in the prevention of deep-vein thrombosis after total knee replacement

destruction of 7% of the cross-sectional area of the growth plate caused permanent growth disturbances and shortening of the femur”. They state that “an appropriate tunnel involves much less than 7% of the physis” without giving a reference. In fact there have been no human studies performed to substantiate this statement. They also state that “no child suffered physeal damage or leglength discrepancy”. This is the only report so far which states that destruction of a percentage of both physes did not at least show a physiological leg-length discrepancy. In cases of knee surgery the minimum follow-up period is 12 months from both the biological and mechanical point of view. The article suggests that “all” children and adolescents can be operated on without any problem, even without preoperative planning, using the four-strand hamstring technique which crosses the growth plates. The literature so far still considers this to be controversial. No mention has been made of other previous experimental studies. 3-5 Our work 3 has been quoted several times by other authors dealing with this subject.