As modern science and medical technology increase the life span of man, the human skeleton is required to function for longer periods of time. Many skeletal problems that besiege the adult stem from abnormalities that exist during infancy and adoles cence. These may be congenital problems or acquired problems due either to a child's environment or to some injury sustained during the growth years. Adolescents today are extremely active; many sports and hobbies subject them to an infinite array of traumatizing episodes that may result in injuries and diseases. When I wrote the first edition of...