Decomposing stature into its major components is proving to be a useful strategy to assess the antecedents of disease, morbidity and death in adulthood. There is also wide support for the use of relative leg length as an indicator of the quality of the environment for growth during infancy, childhood and the juvenile years of development. Human beings follow a cephalo-caudal gradient of growth, the pattern of growth common to all mammals. A special feature of the human pattern is that between birth and puberty the legs grow relatively faster than other post-cranial body segments.

Professional Reference articles are designed for health professionals to use. You may find one of our health articles more useful. Gait abnormalities or unsteadiness are a common presenting complaint, especially in older patients. It may be a trivial complaint with no underlying pathology or herald a more serious illness. The concept of 'off legs' usually refers to elderly patients, who were previously mobile and active, with a sudden deterioration.

Growing pains are an aching or throbbing pain in the legs or other extremities. They usually affect children ages 3 to 5 and 8 to Growing pains usually occur in both legs, in the calves, front of thighs, and behind the knees. While the cause of growing pains is unknown, it may be linked to children being active during the day.

Although growing pains typically affect children, adults may experience similar pains in their bodies,. Growing pains are a type of musculoskeletal pain that usually affects children. Despite the name, growth does not cause growing pains. In fact, medical experts have not yet identified a definitive cause of growing pains.