Limb Lengthening for Kids and Teens
In children, limb length discrepancies and deformity commonly arise from birth defects (congenital) or after trauma. Congenital conditions include fibular hemimelia, congenital bowing of the tibia, congenital short femur, hemiatrophy or hemihypertrophy. Russel Silver Syndrome is another condition that leads to limb length discrepancies.
Trauma can also lead to limb shortening and deformity from either malunion or stunted growth at an injured growth plate. While bowleg and knock-knee deformities can arise after trauma, they can also be related to Blount's disease or Ellis van Creveld syndrome.
Dwarfism such as achondroplasia leads to short stature, limb deformity, and functional limitations.
Drs. Rozbruch and Fragomen perform advanced surgical techniques that reliably equalize limb length, correct deformities, and even increase stature in select conditions.
Patient Cases, Stories & Educational Media
- Case 6: Femur Lengthening in a Child with a Growth-Plate Injury
- Case 29: Tibia Lengthening and Correction in a Child (pediatric) After Growth Plate Injury
- Case 41: Femur Lengthening with Monolateral EBI Frame for Growth Arrest
- Case 42: Lengthening and Straightening of a Humerus (arm) in Patient with Ollier's Disease
- Case 43: Limb Salvage of a Massive Tibial Bone Defect in a Child
- Case 54: Limb Salvage Reconstruction of Congenital Pseudarthrosis of the Tibia with Bone Transport
- Case 58: Bone Transport for Reconstruction of a 17cm Bone Defect After Tumor Resection
- Case 63: Femur Lengthening in Young Child
- Case 69: Lengthening and correction of femur after growth arrest
- Case 71: Massive 20cm (8in) lengthening including femur lengthening over a nail (LON)
- Case 73: Femur lengthening and deformity correction after growth arrest
- Case 76: Femur lengthening with the PRECICE Internal Lengthening Nail
- Case 88: Congenital Leg Length Discrepancy and Russell Silver Syndrome
- Outcomes of percutaneous femoral derotational osteotomy in pediatric patients. Adam D Geffner, Bridget K Ellsworth, Michael Greenstein, Austin T Fragomen, S Robert Rozbruch. Journal of Children's Orthopaedics, 2023.
- Percutaneous Femoral Derotational Osteotomy in the Skeletally Immature Patient. Bridget K. Ellsworth MD, Jason S. Hoellwarth MD, S. Robert Rozbruch MD
- Psychosocial Implications of Limb Lengthening and Reconstruction Orthopedic Surgery: A Literature Review (austinpublishinggroup.com)
- Growth Arrest of the Tibia After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: Lengthening and Deformity Correction With the Taylor Spatial Frame. SR Rozbruch, C Fryman, LF Schachter, D Bigman and RG Marx. Am J Sports Med 2013 41: 1636 originally published online April 25, 2013 DOI: 10.1177/0363546510369318
- Limb Lengthening in Children with Russell–Silver Syndrome: A Comparison to Other Etiologies. V Goldman, TH McCoy, MD Harbison, AT Fragomen & SR Rozbruch. Journal of Children's Orthopaedics. J Child Orthop (2013) 7:151-156. DOI 10.1007/s11832-012-0474-3
- Limb lengthening for radiation-induced growth arrest of the pelvis and femur, Paul E. Matuszewski and S. Robert Rozbruch, Current Orthopaedic Practice, March/April 2010
- Limited Quadricepsplasty for Contracture during Femoral Lengthening - Saurabh Khakharia MD, Austin T. Fragomen MD, S. Robert Rozbruch MD
- Humeral lengthening and deformity correction in Ollier’s disease: distraction osteogenesis with a multiaxial correction frame published by Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics in 2008
- Lengthening and Reconstruction of Congenital Leg Deficiencies for Enhanced Prosthetic Wear published by The Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons in October, 2007