Leg lengthening/shortening

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Leg lengthening - series

Leg lengthening and shortening are types of surgery to treat children who have legs of unequal lengths, usually with differences of 1 inch or more.

These procedures may:

• Lengthen an abnormally short leg
• Shorten an abnormally long leg
• Limit growth of a normal leg to allow a short leg to grow to a matching length

Epiphysiodesis; Epiphyseal arrest; Correction of unequal bone length; Bone lengthening; Bone shortening; Femoral lengthening; Femoral shortening

BONE LENGTHENING

Lengthening an abnormally short leg may be recommended for children whose bones are still growing. This series of treatments involves several surgical procedures, a lengthy convalescence period, and considerable risks -- but it can add up to 6 inches of length to a leg.

While the child is under general anesthesia, the bone to be lengthened is cut. Metal pins or screws are inserted through the skin and into the bone.

Pins are placed above and below the cut in the bone, and the skin incision is stitched closed.

A metal device (usually some sort of external frame) is attached to the pins in the bone and will be used later to gradually pull the cut bone apart, creating a space between the ends of the cut bone that will fill in with new bone. The lengthening device is used very gradually to ensure adequate filling of the bone and stretching of the soft tissues.

Later, when the leg has reached the desired length and has healed (usually after several months), another surgical procedure will be done to remove the pins.

Because the pins or screws are inserted through the skin into the bone, special care of the pin sites is important to prevent infection. Also, because the blood vessels, muscles, and skin are stretched with each lengthening, careful and frequent checking of the skin color, temperature, and sensation of the foot and toes is necessary to prevent circulatory, muscular, or nerve damage.

BONE SHORTENING

Shortening a longer leg may be recommended for children whose bones are no longer growing. This is a technically complicated surgery that can produce a very precise degree of correction.