Limb Lengthening And Deformity Correction Surgery By Dr Gaurav Gupta
What is limb lengthening surgery and what is its purpose?
Limb lengthening surgery is a form of distraction osteogenesis (bone lengthening surgery). It consists of cutting a section of a bone of the arms or legs and gradually pulling the two resulting pieces apart using a piece of equipment called a fixator. New bone (called regenerate) will form in that gap, effectively making the bone longer . Lengthening of the lower limbs usually involves application of a fixator to both the tibia and the femur, while upper limb lengthening is usually done to the humerus .
It can be performed to:
Correct deformities, such as genu varus;
Increase stature.
The corrective technique used for deformity correction depends on the deformity and on any underlying conditions. It can consist on the insertion of a nail in the growth plate, halting growth on one side of the bone (called an epiphysiodesis), it can be an osteotomy, where the surgeon cuts a piece of the bone and uses fixators to correct the deformity, or it can be just a distraction, where fixators are fixed to the bone and gradually pull the joints into their proper position.
Fixators can be internal or external and can be used in conjunction. There are also several different internal and external apparatuses for limb lengthening and deformity correction. For example, the most known fixator is Ilizarov’s circular external fixator, but there’s also the PRECICE internal fixator, which is a long rod that is inserted directly into the bone and controlled externally using powerful magnets (animation on how it is implanted here). The PRECICE internal fixator can’t be used on the hummers.