[Treatment of traumatic shortening of the legs in adults]

Non-traumatic shortening of lower extremities can be lengthened by osteotomy, traction or bone grafting. In traumatic shortening, treatment is limited by several reasons and emphasis should be put on bone healing and preserving of loading and walking functions. The lengthening of lower extremities has some difficulties. Recently, we have adopted a method in which we transposed muscle-skin flap to repair the stick-bone scar in the early stage, and performed traction with Hoffman extra-frame (when osteotomy is needed) in the mid-stage and bone grafting (with or without vascularity) in the late stage. From April 1984 to April 1986, seven patients were treated by this method. The result was satisfactory. In this article is discussed the pathologic characteristics of traumatic shortening of the lower extremities and the role of the gastrocnemius in repairing skin defect.