Patient Satisfaction After Limb Lengthening With Internal and External Devices

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• External fixation for limb lengthening is associated with significant complications including soft tissue tethering, pain, and reduced joint mobility.
• A novel controllable, telescopic, internal lengthening nail has been developed to mitigate these issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare patient satisfaction rates between internal lengthening nails and traditional external fixation methods for limb lengthening.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study involving 16 patients who have undergone both internal and external fixation for limb lengthening.
• Patient-reported outcomes were assessed using a custom-developed limb-lengthening questionnaire.

Main Results:

• Thirteen of 16 patients completed the questionnaire.
• Patients reported higher overall satisfaction with the internal lengthening nail.
• The internal device was associated with reduced pain, easier physical therapy, and better cosmetic appearance.

Conclusions:

• The internal lengthening nail represents a significant improvement over external fixators for limb lengthening, based on patient preference.
• All surveyed patients indicated a preference for the internal device for future procedures.