Callus distraction: a new method? A historical review of limb lengthening

The technique of callus distraction can be traced back to the work of Codivilla at the beginning of the century. Subsequent to Codivilla, various crude methods of limb lengthening were used but resulted in high complication rates. Not until the work of Putti and Abbott in the 1920s and their painstaking operative technique did the results become verifiable. During the 1930s, various modifications were introduced and the apparatus was simplified. However, because of an increasing tendency to apply this technique to unsuitable cases, it fell into disrepute. After World War II, Anderson, Allan, and Ilizarov developed better equipment, allowing for a better understanding of the biologic principles of callus distraction. In the 1980s, this method was adopted for treatment of major bone defects and shortening of limbs.