LIMB LENGTHENING IN CHILDREN USING THE ILIZAROV METHOD

By limb lengthening with the Ilizarov method on 24 children with an av erage age of 11 years, the average lengthening was 50 mm. The results were judged by the.healing index and the corticotomy index. The averag e time for lengthening was 50 days. The healing index was on average 3 5 days per centimeter. Five complications were noticed during the firs t stage of the surgical procedure. During the lengthenings, eight case s of joint stiffness were observed, and in five normal biomechanical a xes of the limb were modified. Only one abnormal biomechanical axis wa s perfectly corrected of eight present before surgery. There were thre e wire-tract infections. Only 13 of 26 patients were without any compl ications. The Ilizarov method had a lower rate of complication than th e Wagner technique, however. Open corticotomy, as modified by De Basti ani, may accomplish lengthenings with somewhat fewer complications.