REMODELING OF THE CALCANEUS APOPHYSIS IN THE GROWING CHILD

Radiography and computer-aided analysis of tomography of the os calcis in 35 children with Sever's disease and of 52 control children were c oncurrently evaluated with histologic appearance of six calcanei of vi ctims of road accidents, which were radiographically compatible with t he same syndrome. Histology showed abrupt interruption in continuity o f the apophysis of perpendicular fibrous plates with evidence of an on going reparative process. Computer-aided analysis of orientation of th e ''fragmentation'' lines and histologic data both support the hypothe sis of a stress remodeling process owing to excessive bending forces a cting on the calcaneal apophysis.