CLINICAL OBSERVATION AND EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON EXTREMITY LENGTHENING
- VernacularTitle:肢体延长长度的临床观察与实验研究
- Author:
Qihong LI
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Extremity lengthening
- From:
Medical Journal of Chinese People's Liberation Army
1981;0(06):-
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
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Abstract:
When an extremity is being lengthened, the principle of the elasticity limitation of living tissues is always considered to be a guide fo avoid injuries to the nerves, blood vessels and periostium. It is generally believed that the lengthening should not exceed 10~15% of the original length of the bone. In order to attain a safe and large scale lengthening of a limb, the authors, under the condition of secure fixation of bone ends and early functional excercise of the diseased limb by using a specially des-gned external fixator, adopted a gradual lengthening with a slow speed of 1~1.25mm/d.Eighty cases of epiphysial distraction and 63 cases of metaphyseal osteotomy to lengthen extremities were studied. It was found that the expected lengthening in all the cases was achieved with a lengthening rate of 9~84.3% of the original length. It was 30~84.3% in 16 cases. The absolute lengthening was 6~16 cm in 69 cases. In one case, the femur and tibia were elongated at the same time, and a large shortening of 22 cm of the right lower limb was corrected in a one-stage operation (131 days).Experiments were performed on 15 goats. The lengthening rate of the tibia was 28.6~64.8% of the original length, with an average of 50.2%. In both the clinical and experimental studies, no nerve or blood vessel injury or non-union of the bone was found.The authors proposed a new concept different from the principle of elasticity limitation of livingissues. It is believed that nerves, blood vessels and periostium possess good adaptation capacity to slowand gradual lengthening. Low tension from traction can stimulate the tissues of the extremity to grow synchronously with the slow gradual lengthening and no injury will be inflicted to the structures and functions of the tissues concerned.
