De Bastiani and colleagues described callotasis, a lengthening method that slowly distracts the callus formed after a proximal submetaphyseal corticotomy, and reported their results in 100 lengthened bone segments.
Case series of 100 bone segments lengthened in 73 patients with limb length inequality or achondroplasia, University of Verona.
Methods
Indication
Limb length inequality (50 patients)
Achondroplasia (23 patients)
Approach
Proximal submetaphyseal corticotomy
Dynamic axial fixator with telescoping body
Outcomes
Length gained (cm and % of initial segment length)
Healing index (treatment days per cm gained)
Complications
Key Findings
All 100 segments consolidated without bone grafting or internal fixation, and complications occurred in 14%.
Segments gained a mean 6 cm, a mean 22% of their initial length (range 8% to 58%).
In achondroplasia, femoral and tibial segments each gained a mean 7.8 cm, a 26% increase for the femur and 36% for the tibia, with individual segments reaching 12 cm and 58%.
The healing index averaged 38 treatment days per centimeter gained.
Board pearl
The healing index is total treatment days divided by centimeters gained, and it averaged 38 days per cm in this series.
Authors' conclusion
Our initial results are encouraging, and although further work is clearly required, we are of the opinion that, at present, callotasis is the safest and simplest method for limb lengthening currently available.
De Bastiani and colleagues described callotasis, a lengthening method that slowly distracts the callus formed after a proximal submetaphyseal corticotomy, and reported their results in 100 lengthened bone segments.
Case series of 100 bone segments lengthened in 73 patients with limb length inequality or achondroplasia, University of Verona.
Methods
Indication
Limb length inequality (50 patients)
Achondroplasia (23 patients)
Approach
Proximal submetaphyseal corticotomy
Dynamic axial fixator with telescoping body
Outcomes
Length gained (cm and % of initial segment length)
Healing index (treatment days per cm gained)
Complications
Key Findings
All 100 segments consolidated without bone grafting or internal fixation, and complications occurred in 14%.
Segments gained a mean 6 cm, a mean 22% of their initial length (range 8% to 58%).
In achondroplasia, femoral and tibial segments each gained a mean 7.8 cm, a 26% increase for the femur and 36% for the tibia, with individual segments reaching 12 cm and 58%.
The healing index averaged 38 treatment days per centimeter gained.
Board pearl
The healing index is total treatment days divided by centimeters gained, and it averaged 38 days per cm in this series.
Authors' conclusion
Our initial results are encouraging, and although further work is clearly required, we are of the opinion that, at present, callotasis is the safest and simplest method for limb lengthening currently available.