title: Successful replantation of the leg in a pre-ambulatory infant.
abstract: The authors report the first successful replantation of a below-knee amputation in a 7-month-old infant prior to the development of a standing and walking gait. Seven years following surgery, the child demonstrates excellent ankle and knee range of motion, has regained plantar sensation, and is able to walk, run, and jump without needing a brace. Despite a leg-length discrepancy of 5.5 cm, it is likely that future overgrowth of the injured limb will improve this discrepancy. This child has excellent potential for a successful functional outcome, given the very young age at the time of replantation and the plasticity of the central nervous system.
authors.affiliation: UCLA Hand Center, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA.
authors.forename: Neil F
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Eon K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mostofi
authors.forename: William L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Oppenheim
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000673:Amputation, Traumatic / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007866:Leg; D007870:Leg Length Inequality / Q000601:surgery; D023821:Limb Salvage / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D012092:Replantation; D016138:Walking