J Korean Orthop Assoc.
1977 Sep;12(3):477-482. 10.4055/jkoa.1977.12.3.477.
Femoral Lengthening: A case report
- KMID: 2461796
- DOI: http://doi.org/10.4055/jkoa.1977.12.3.477
Abstract
- A case of femoral lengthening was performed at the Hanyang University Hospital for a 29 year old male patient who hed a 3.0 cm shortening of the left lower extremity. This patient incurred a comminuted segmental fracture of the left femur in a car accident in 1969 when he was 21 years old. At that time, open reduction and internal fixation with Kuntscher nail was done at a private clinic. The fracture was united firmly, but shortening of the left lower extremity developed progressively. At the time of admission to our hospital in 1976, he had a 3.0 cm shortening of the left femur on scanogram and complained of limping. Femoral lengthening was employed by step cut Z ostectomy on the left femur and 3.0 cm lengthening was achieved during the operation by traction with 2 Steinmann pins, one of which was inserted vertically in the greater trochanter, and the other was inserted horizontally in the distal femur. A special plate and screws were modified at our hospital and were attached and fixed to the osteotomy site. Bone gaps which developed after lengthening of the femur were filled with an autogenous iliac bone graft. The patient was followed up for 9 months after the operation, and the last X-ray showed a firm bony union without any specific complications. On pbysical examination at the present time, there is no longer a shortening of the left lower extremity clinically and gait is normal without limping.
