Guzzaloni G, Grugni G, Moro D, Minocci A, Morabito F
Divisione di Auxologia, Istituto Scientifico Ospedale San Giuseppe, Verbania Intra.
Minerva Pediatr. 1997 Apr;49(4):139-45.
Knemometer is a non invasive device for measuring the leg length and evaluating statural variations otherwise not disclosed by means of Harpenden stadiometer. In several clinical conditions of short stature, knemometer allows to evaluate the short-term effect of growth promoting agents, as well as the role of infections on growth dynamics.
The short-term (37-56 days) variability of the leg length in subjects with isolated growth hormone deficiency (1 case), Turner syndrome (2 cases) and Silver-Russel syndrome (1 case) treated with rhGH have been evaluated. The measurements were performed weekly by the same operator, at the same weekday and daytime.
The results show a correlation between intercurrent illnesses and growth failure, as well as a growth resumption at the end of the former, despite the etiology of short stature. Growth hormone treatment seems to exert an influence on growth only in the subject with GH deficiency, whereas a similar short term effect is not found in the cases of Turner syndrome and Silver Russel syndrome. This fact suggests that, also by knemometry, a most prolonged follow-up is required to evaluate the effect of GH on short term growth.
下肢长度测量仪是一种非侵入性设备，用于测量腿长并评估身高变化，而这些变化是通过哈彭登身高计无法揭示的。在几种身材矮小的临床情况下，下肢长度测量仪可以评估生长促进剂的短期效果，以及感染对生长动态的作用。
对1例孤立性生长激素缺乏症、2例特纳综合征和1例Silver-Russel综合征患者使用重组人生长激素（rhGH）治疗后下肢长度的短期（37 - 56天）变异性进行了评估。测量由同一名操作人员在每周的同一天、同一时间进行。
结果显示，尽管身材矮小的病因不同，但并发疾病与生长发育迟缓之间存在关联，并且在疾病结束时生长恢复。生长激素治疗似乎仅对生长激素缺乏的患者的生长有影响，而在特纳综合征和Silver Russel综合征患者中未发现类似的短期效果。这一事实表明，即使使用下肢长度测量仪，也需要更长时间的随访来评估生长激素对短期生长的影响。
