The epidemiological characteristics of neurogenic limb deformity disorder in China: a national-based study from Qin Sihe orthopedic center

BACKGROUND: Neurogenic limb deformity disorder (NLDD) refers to limb deformity disorders caused by various neurogenic disorders. However, there are no studies to systematically summarize and analyze these diseases in China, and we first proposed the concept of NLDD. We describe the epidemiological characteristics of NLDD in China based on the largest case database of limb orthopedics in China. METHODS: This study analyzed parameters from the Qin Sihe Orthopedic Surgery Case Data (QSHOSCD). The database is based on the Rehabilitation Hospital affiliated to National Research Center for Rehabilitation, which has collected nearly 37,000 patients to date and includes a wide variety of limb deformities. The types of diseases are summarized and classified for all patients studied. Statistical analysis was based on the type of etiology, age, regional distribution, and historical surgical volume. Partial outcomes were statistically analyzed separately by common diseases (polio and cerebral palsy) and rare diseases (37 other diseases). RESULTS: From 1979 to 2019, 30,194 patients with NLDD were treated surgically for 39 neurogenic disorders. The male to female ratio was 1.48:1, the mean age was 19.65 years, and most patients (82.38%) were aged between 6 and 30 years. Patients included from 32 provinces and cities across China, mainly concentrated in populous central provinces and Heilongjiang Province. The peak of annual surgical procedures was from 1988 to 1994, and the number of annual surgical procedures for common diseases gradually decreased from 1994 onwards, but the trending is opposite for rare diseases. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to demonstrate the disease types, population characteristics and incidence trends of NLDD in China. It suggests that the prevention and treatment of NLDD should focus on the adolescent population and enhance the treatment of neurogenic diseases that cause limb deformities. The growth and adaption of the Ilizarov technique and its practice in Chinese orthopedic benefits the treatment of neurogenic limb deformity disorders.