Lengthening of an amputation stump by the Ilizarov technique. A case report

A woman, 29 years of age, sustained a below knee amputation following injury and was left with a stump 5.5 cm long. Good soft tissue cover was obtained with a myocutaneous flap using the gastrocnemius muscle and heel pad flap from the injured leg. The stump was then lengthened by 7 cm, to 12.5 cm, using the Ilizarov distraction technique. The patient was able to bear weight on the end of the fixator during the 8 months it was in position. The gap filled with bone and there were no complications. She recovered good function.