Tibial lengthening over an intramedullary nail

Background Long-term application of an external fixator to treat leg-length discrepancy and short stature often causes complications, such as pin-tract infection or loss of range of motion at the knee or ankle (or both). Prolonged fixator use also interferes with the activities of daily living. To minimize such problems, we have combined intramedullary nailing with external fixation. Using this technique, the external fixator can be removed more quickly after completing the lengthening. Methods We combined intramedullary nailing with lengthening in 13 tibias (8 patients) and then compared these cases with 17 standard tibial lengthenings (16 patients) using an external fixator alone. In both groups we excluded patients who had a history of previous bone infection, open fracture, immature bone, soft tissue compromise, antineoplastic chemotherapy, or bone deformity of a severity that required gradual deformity correction. We also excluded cases with lengthening of less than 3 cm. Results The mean external fixation index differed significantly between the two groups, but the consolidation index did not. Mean operating time for lengthening combined with intramedullary nail placement was approximately 60 min longer than for standard lengthening without nail placement; intraoperative blood loss was not greater in the nailing group. Complications related to the external fixator were far fewer in the combined intramedullary nailing and lengthening group compared with the control group, and callus formation was satisfactory for both groups. Conclusions A combination of intramedullary nailing and external fixation produces callus formation as good as that obtained by the standard Ilizarov method of lengthening. Furthermore, this combined procedure decreases the external fixation time and is associated with fewer complications.