Indications
The most common bones treated with lengthening procedures are the bones of the leg, the tibia and the femur.
Surgical treatment may be recommended for severe unequal leg lengths caused by:
- poliomyelitis and cerebral palsy
- small, weak (atrophied) muscles or short, tight (spastic) muscles may cause deformities and prevent normal leg growth
- hip diseases such as Legg-Perthes disease
- previous injuries or bone fractures that may stimulate excessive bone growth
- abnormal spinal curvatures (scoliosis)
- birth defects (congenital deformities) of bones, joints, muscles, tendons, or ligaments
Review Date: 12/4/2006
Reviewed By: Thomas N. Joseph, MD, Private Practice specializing in Orthopaedics, subspecialty Foot and Ankle, Camden Bone & Joint, Camden, SC. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.