Linear growth measurement: a comparison of single arm-lengths and arm-span.

An investigation was done to determine whether the arm-lengths of 44 children with myelomeningocele differed from those of 96 control children; whether the level of the meningocele lesion has any effect on arm-length; and to compare the relationship between arm-length and both stature and age. Mean total arm-lengths did not differ significantly between the two groups of children. However, the mean arm-spans of children with high myelomeningocele lesions differed significantly from those of control children. Within the myelomeningocele group, the height of the lesion had no significant effect on any of the arm-length variables. Very high positive correlations were found between upper-arm and total arm-lengths and stature, and between arm-span and stature in the control children. These results suggest that arm-length may be used as an alternative measure of linear growth in children, and that a single arm-length will be the most accurate indicator of growth of children with myelomeningocele.