[Distraction lengthening in brachymetacarpia. Case report]

A 16-year-old female patient with a congenital short fourth metacarpal in the right hand was successfully treated by distraction-lengthening. A transverse osteotomy was performed with daily incremental distraction of 0.5 to 1.0 mm, and the distractor device was in place for altogether 12 weeks. The fourth metacarpal was lengthened by 2 cm. The X-ray analysis one year later demonstrated normal skeletal structure. Distraction-lengthening has a number of advantages, when compared with one- or two-stage interposition bone grafting.