[Extemporaneous lengthening of the femur in children and adolescents. Study of 25 cases].

Twenty-five one-stage lengthenings of the femur have been made using a specific technique: an oblique osteotomy in the frontal plane with a mean length of 12 cm, with routine tenotomies and fascial divisions. The average lengthening was 37 mm, that is 9.4 per cent of the femoral length. Complications were uncommon: one infection, three non-unions and one fracture, none of which resulted in any loss of length or deleterious late effects. One-stage lengthening is ideally indicated in adolescents at the end of growth for inequalities of limb length of 40 to 50 mm mainly affecting the femur, whatever the cause.