conclusions the fixator-assisted lengthening plate technique helps to maintain the stability and alignment at both sides of an osteotomy during tibial elongation. it allows the early removal of the external fixator immediately after lengthening is completed. this technique can be applied in children with open physes and in patients with a narrow medullary canal who are unsuitable for limb lengt...

Some replantation cases require substantial bone shortening for primary closure. Leg-length discrepancy can be restored by lengthening of the replanted or revascularized extremities. Between 1991 and 2000, four patients with four total and two subtotal below-knee amputations had replantation or revascularization for their severely damaged extremities. All of them had extensive debridement, vasc...

Pin loosening and infection are inherent complications of external fixation. This study deals with their effects of using either hydroxyapatite (HA)-coated or uncoated external fixation pins in leg-lengthening procedures on patients of short stature. We used HA-coated pins on one side and uncoated pins on the other (randomly determined) in 28 bilateral lengthenings undertaken in 23 patients. A ...

BACKGROUND Foot ulcers are a common cause of infection and amputation in patients with neuropathy. This retrospective study evaluated the healing and recurrence rates after treating neuropathic ulcers plantar to the metatarsal heads with tendon lengthenings in the leg. MATERIALS AND METHODS Between 1995 and 2003, 20 ulcers plantar to the metatarsal heads in 17 patients were treated with tendo...

Reconstructive surgery following an internal hemipelvectomy for a malignant pelvic tumor is difficult due to the structural complexity of the pelvis and the massive extension of the tumor. While high complication rates have been encountered in various types of reconstructive surgery, resection without reconstruction reportedly involved fewer complications. However, this method often results in ...

We reviewed 508 consecutive total hip replacements in 370 patients with old developmental dysplasia of the hip, to relate the amount of leg lengthening to the incidence of nerve palsies after operation. There were eight nerve palsies (two femoral, six sciatic), two complete and six incomplete. We found no statistical correlation between the amount of lengthening and the incidence of nerve damag...

Axial forces were measured during limb lengthening in a series of ten patients with varying pathologies in order to assess the mechanical characteristics of the distracted tissues and the levels of axial force to which soft tissues are subjected during leg lengthening. The pattern of force was found to vary according to the underlying pathology. For post-traumatic shortening in adults both the ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Growth inhibition and stimulation have both been reported after juvenile limb lengthening. Distraction of a joint usually suspends and unloads the growth plate and may stimulate growth. We investigated the influence of knee joint distraction on the speed of growth after limb lengthening. METHODS In a retrospective study, growth patterns were analyzed in 30 children mean 6...