Limb Lengthening for Post-Traumatic Shortening Over a Pre-implanted Femoral Locking Plate

Attempts have been made to refine techniques involved in distraction osteogenesis to improve patient compliance and reduce complications. The prolonged use of external fixators for limb lengthening is associated with a number of problems, and in addition patient satisfaction with a cumbersome external fixator may be low. To reduce the complication rate and facilitate early removal of the external fixator by protecting the regenerate bone, lengthening over an intramedullary nail is being increasingly described. These techniques have limitations when used in skeletally immature patients and carry a risk of deep intramedullary infection. Post-traumatic limb length discrepancy is not uncommon after high-energy injuries are fixed in a shortened position secondary to bone loss. The plate applied at the time of injury may be incorporated into any subsequent lengthening process. A detailed description of the technique of lengthening over a pre-implanted distal femoral plate is followed by presentation of 2 case examples.