Humeral lengthening and bone transport using the Ilizarov technique.

The authors present their results of Ilizarov treatment of eight humeral length deficits and bone defects in seven consecutive patients treated at the Hospital for Joint Diseases. The mean humeral lengthening achieved was 9.8 cm. The lengthening goal was completely achieved in six cases, while two cases achieved over 80% of the desired length. No permanent neurovascular or infectious complication occurred. The authors suggest that the Ilizarov technique is a viable method in treating severe humeral length deficits or bone defects.