PROSPECTIVE-STUDY OF BONE LENGTHENING

We made a prospective survey of two basic bone lengthening techniques, percutaneous osteotomy and physeal distraction, in 61 patients with 142 bones treated and 93 lengthening processes in 3 years. The overall index of maturation was 1.16 months/cm. Male patients required less time for maturation of a given length than did females. The index of maturation varies according to the patient's etiology, 0.8 months/cm in patients undergoing symmetrical lengthening, whereas those with limb length discrepancy require 1.52 month/cm. The mean number of complications was slightly higher with physeal distraction than with percutaneous corticotomy. Patients with dysplastic etiology can achieve greater increases in length in shorter times than can nondysplastic patients. Patients with symmetrical hypometry had better results than patients with limb length discrepancy with regard not only to increase in length, but also to the time needed to achieve this length and the number of complications.