title: Long-term results of lower limb lengthening by physeal distraction.
abstract: Of the many methods of limb elongation, lengthening by physeal distraction is among the newest. The goal of this study was to estimate the long-term results of femoral and tibial lengthening by epiphyseal distraction. The authors examined 40 patients who underwent 24 femoral and 16 tibial lengthenings. The average follow-up period was 9.6 years. An average of 4.6 cm of femoral lengthening and 4.7 cm of tibial lengthening was achieved. The femoral healing index was 38.1 days/cm and the tibial healing index was 35.7 days/cm. After lengthening the epiphyseal cartilage started to function in all patients, and premature growth cartilage fusion was not observed during follow-up. Complications occurred in eight patients during femoral lengthening and in four during tibial lengthening. The authors suggest that physeal distraction is a good method for moderate and simple limb lengthening. Particular care should be applied to knee joint function, especially during femoral lengthening.
authors.affiliation: Jagiellonian University Medical College, Department of Pediatric Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, Zakopane, Poland. klinika@zakopane.top.pl
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zarzycki
authors.forename: Maciej
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tesiorowski
authors.forename: Maja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zarzycka
authors.forename: Wojciech
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kacki
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jasiewicz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007870:Leg Length Inequality / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D019857:Osteogenesis, Distraction / Q000379:methods*; D013977:Tibia / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome