Limb lengthening is a surgical treatment that corrects height proportion, balances the patient’s gait, and addresses aesthetic concerns. The process of limb lengthening requires time, patience, and precision. The reconstructive surgeon performs a surgical osteomy (breaks) on the femur and/or tibia through small incisions in the affected leg.
A magnetic lengthening rod and pins are inserted into the bone which allows the leg to have controlled lengthening over a period of time. There is an external magnet that that is applied over the nail which mechanizes a gear in the device and moves the telescoping rod. The magnet rotates the gears in the rod to increase the length of the limb. By utilizing this advanced technology, Penn surgeons can limit and / or eliminate the use of external fixation, which historically had been the device used.
After the magnetic rod and pins are in place, patients are instructed on how to adjust the rod to lengthen the bone over time, typically between ½ and 1 millimeter a day for the next three months (you may achieve one inch per month). As the bones lengthen gradually, muscle, tendon, skin, and arteries also respond and grow.
The actual lengthening phase is referred to as ‘distraction’, when the bones slowly grow longer over time. Afterwards, there is the ‘consolidation’ phase when the bones begin to heal and calcify, and finally the recovery phase, when rehabilitation begins and more weight barring is placed on the bones.
Benefits of Limb Lengthening
Patients who undergo limb lengthening report the following benefits:
- Height proportion
- Balanced gait and walk
- Psychological impact
- Physical impact