Limb lengthening in children using the Ilizarov method.

By limb lengthening with the Ilizarov method on 24 children with an average age of 11 years, the average lengthening was 50 mm. The results were judged by the healing index and the corticotomy index. The average time for lengthening was 50 days. The healing index was on average 35 days per centimeter. Five complications were noticed during the first stage of the surgical procedure. During the lengthenings, eight cases of joint stiffness were observed, and in five normal biomechanical axes of the limb were modified. Only one abnormal biomechanical axis was perfectly corrected of eight present before surgery. There were three wire-tract infections. Only 13 of 26 patients were without any complications. The Ilizarov method had a lower rate of complication than the Wagner technique, however. Open corticotomy, as modified by De Bastiani, may accomplish lengthenings with somewhat fewer complications.