Simultaneous ipsilateral femur and tibia lengthening after an iatrogenic nerve injury: Shortening external fixator time

Abstract

Limb lengthening using distraction osteogenesis is an established technique; however it is often limited by prolonged external fixation times, with their associated difficulties and complications. A case is presented where a leg lengthening was performed with a relatively short external fixation time. This was made possible by the equal distribution of the patient's leg length discrepancy between the femur and tibia, secondary to an iatrogenic nerve injury while the patient was still growing. The technique of simultaneous ipsilateral femoral and tibial lengthening was shown to be an effective method of shortening external fixator time in this case and opens the door for further application of this technique in other clinical scenarios.