Pitfalls of lengthening over an intramedullary nail in tibia: a consecutive case series

Background  

Lengthening over a nail was introduced to reduce the overall complication rate in the classic Ilizarov method. Previous studies reported that an intramedullary nail could decrease the time of external fixation, prevent anatomic malalignment and collapse; Internal friction, damage to endosteal blood supply and infection rates, however, may be higher. Whether the approach achieves it goals with acceptable complication rates is unclear. The aim of this study was to describe the results and complications of tibial lengthening over a nail.