Pediatric Limb Length Calculator

Description

Pediatric Limb Length Calculator is a browser-based calculation prototype intended for use in pediatric orthopedics. It estimates lower-limb length discrepancy and theoretical epiphysiodesis timing using the multiplier method. The interface supports English and French.

Authorized users can create and manage their own records. Site administrators can view all records and manage user access. Records include patient names, measurement dates, entered measurements and calculation results, and are stored in the WordPress database.

Clinical disclaimer: Pediatric Limb Length Calculator is a calculation prototype, not a clinically validated medical device. Its calculations, assumptions, multiplier data and inferred correction described below require independent verification. Do not use it as the sole basis for diagnosis, treatment planning or epiphysiodesis decisions. Verify all measurements and results with a qualified specialist.

The site owner is responsible for access control, secure hosting, HTTPS, protected backups, appropriate retention, and compliance with applicable privacy and health-data laws. Do not enter real patient data into a test or publicly accessible installation.

Source code and development

The plugin JavaScript and CSS are provided as readable, non-minified source files: pediatric-limb-length-calculator.js and pediatric-limb-length-calculator.css. These files are maintained in the public project repository: https://github.com/RedaAmani/OrthoGrowth

No compilation, bundling or minification step is required. Developers can inspect and modify these files directly. The plugin’s PHP, JavaScript, CSS and template files are included in the plugin package under the GPL-compatible license stated above.

Privacy and data retention

Pediatric Limb Length Calculator stores patient names, measurement dates, measurements and calculation results. Authorized non-administrator users can access only records they created; site administrators can access all records. The plugin registers WordPress personal-data exporter and eraser callbacks for records associated with a WordPress account. Erasing an account’s Pediatric Limb Length Calculator data permanently deletes records created by that account.

By default, uninstalling the plugin preserves saved records. An administrator can explicitly enable permanent deletion on uninstall in the Pediatric Limb Length Calculator administration menu. If enabled, uninstalling deletes records for the relevant site; with network activation, the setting is evaluated separately for each site. Keep secure backups and establish a retention policy appropriate to your jurisdiction.

Sources and attribution

The multiplier-method approach is based on published orthopedic literature, including:

• Paley D, Bhave A, Herzenberg JE, Bowen JR. Multiplier method for predicting limb-length discrepancy. Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery American. 2000;82(10):1432–1446. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11057472/
• Mills G, Nelson S. An improved spreadsheet for calculating limb length discrepancy and epiphysiodesis timing using the multiplier method. Journal of Children’s Orthopaedics. 2016;10:313–319. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11832-016-0754-4

The 2016 article is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0): https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. Article-derived material must be attributed to the authors and source, linked to the license, and any changes disclosed. The source table’s value for girls at 3.08 years is printed as 3.03, which appears inconsistent with adjacent rows. Pediatric Limb Length Calculator uses 2.03 as an inferred correction, not as a value explicitly printed in the article. This correction must be independently checked before any clinical use.