The development of the distraction-compression osteogenesis method in orthopedic surgery in Poland

The dynamic development of the Ilizarov method around the world and in Poland during the last decade has been made possible by the scientific of its application, based on universal laws of physiology and biomechanics. The Ilizarov method is beyond a doubt the treatment method of choice in many serious disorders of the locomotor apparatus, and is of extremely high value in the treatment of complicated open fractures with concomitant diffuse infuries of soft tissue, and not just in Poland's flagship orthopedic centers. Even though the complication rate is fairly high, the method is well tolerated by the patients, and the majority of failures can be effectively treated by the same method. This article outlines the history of limb lengthening in the worlds and the history of the development of the Ilizarov method in Poland.