Leg lengthening and shortening are types of surgery to treat some children who have legs of unequal lengths.

These procedures may:

• Lengthen an abnormally short leg
• Shorten an abnormally long leg
• Limit growth of a normal leg to allow a short leg to grow to a matching length

Epiphysiodesis; Epiphyseal arrest; Correction of unequal bone length; Bone lengthening; Bone shortening; Femoral lengthening; Femoral shortening

BONE LENGTHENING

This series of treatments involves several surgical procedures, a long recovery period, and a number of risks -- but it can add up to 6 inches of length to a leg.

While the child is under general anesthesia:

• The bone to be lengthened is cut.
• Metal pins or screws are inserted through the skin and into the bone. Pins are placed above and below the cut in the bone, and the surgical cut in the skin is stitched closed.
• A metal device (usually some sort of external frame) is attached to the pins in the bone. It will be used later to very slowly (over months) pull the cut bone apart. This creates a space between the ends of the cut bone that will fill in with new bone.

Later, when the leg has reached the desired length and has healed (usually after several months), another surgical procedure will be done to remove the pins.

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Leg lengthening and shortening Risks

Review Date: 11/12/2010
Reviewed By: Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)