Ilizarov lengthening has been the new method to deal with a number of difficult skeletal problems. Although recent technical improvements have reduced the frequency of major complications associated with limb lengthening and deformity
corrections,
the
process remains difficult. Because the femur is concentrically placed and surrounded by muscles, the pins always penetrate through the muscles inevitably. In additions, concentric lengthening of the proximal femur can hardly be obtained because
of
the
difficult application of Ilizarov ring.
The twenty-eight patients(31 femurs) who were treated at the Yong-Dong Severance hospital between 1989 and 1992 were reported.
@ES The results were as follows;
@EN 1. The average age at the time of lengthening was 20 years(range 4-58 years) and the average length of follow-up time was 21 months(range, 12-40 months).
2. The etiologies of the limb length discrepancies were 4 skeletal dysplasia, 6 late sequelae of bone and joint infection. 12 post-traumatic, 2 poliomyelitis, 2 vit-D resistant rickets, 1 enchondromatosis. And 1 miscellaneous.
3. The average gain of length was 5.9cm (range 3-14cm), the average percentage increase 24%(range 7.5-67.5%), and the average healing index 48 days (range, 18-100 days).
4. The problems are 18 pin tract infections & 19 transient knee stiffness, the obstacles are 4 knee subluxations, and 2 incomplete corticotomy. The complications are 7 knee stiffness, 2 fractures, 2 coxa vara, 2 hip subluxation, and 4 loss of
correction.
|