Leg lengthening - series
Indications
The most common bones treated with lengthening procedures are the bones of the leg, the tibia and the femur.
Surgical treatment may be recommended for severe unequal leg lengths caused by:
- poliomyelitis and cerebral palsy
- small, weak (atrophied) muscles or short, tight (spastic) muscles may cause deformities and prevent normal leg growth
- hip diseases such as Legg-Perthes disease
- previous injuries or bone fractures that may stimulate excessive bone growth
- abnormal spinal curvatures (scoliosis)
- birth defects (congenital deformities) of bones, joints, muscles, tendons, or ligaments
Update Date: 11/12/2010
Updated by: Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
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