[Surgical limb lengthening--experiences and results]

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic Surgery
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Operative limb lengthening is a complex orthopaedic procedure.
• Managing bone length discrepancies requires advanced surgical techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report outcomes of 172 operative lengthening procedures on 134 patients.
• To analyze results based on patient age, indication, and surgical method.
• To introduce a modified external fixation device.

Main Methods:

• Performed 172 bone lengthening procedures using callus-distraction and epiphyseal distraction.
• Utilized a modified wire-fixed external fixator (Berlin type).
• Differentiated patient groups by age, indication, and localization.

Main Results:

• Achieved an average bone length increase of 8.5 cm per procedure (totaling over 14 meters).
• Documented a high complication rate of 84.8% (146 complications).
• Presented results stratified by various patient and procedural factors.

Conclusions:

• Operative limb lengthening can achieve significant bone length increase.
• Careful procedure planning and time-balance are crucial.
• High complication rates necessitate thorough discussion and management strategies.