Preliminary experience with motorized distraction for tibial lengthening

• Published in: Strategies in trauma and limb reconstruction Vol. 9; no. 2; pp. 97 - 100
• Main Authors: Bright, Adam S., Herzenberg, John E., Paley, Dror, Weiner, Ian, Burghardt, Rolf D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Milan Springer Milan 01-08-2014; Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers Ltd
• Subjects: Biocompatibility; Biomedical materials; Callus; Complications; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Orthopedics; Osteogenesis; Surgical Orthopedics; Traumatic Surgery; Bone lengthening; External fixator; Ilizarov; Tibia; Motorized distraction; Limb length discrepancy; Distraction osteogenesis
• ISSN: 1828-8936; 1828-8928
• DOI: 10.1007/s11751-014-0191-1

Limb lengthening by callus distraction is commonly performed with the use of external fixation. Lengthening is routinely performed by the patient through small increments throughout the course of a day. Ilizarov has shown that both the rate and frequency of distraction are important factors in the quality of osteogenesis. We report the effect of motorized high frequency distraction for tibial lengthening in comparison with manual low-frequency distraction at the same rate. Manual distraction (0.25 mm four times a day) in a group containing 43 tibiae was compared with motorized distraction (1/1,440 mm 1,400 times a day) in a group containing 27 tibiae. There was no significant difference in time to union or in the incidence of complications.