Tibial lengthening
A complex deformity case at the Dr. Donghoon institute (DALRI), Korea (LATN), with 4 before and after radiographs.
- Category
- Complex deformity
- Gained
- —
- Height
- —
- Follow-up
- —
Drag the handle to compare before and after (arrow keys work too). Before and after complex deformity, case 11230129, image 2, Dr. Donghoon institute (DALRI)
About this case
This patient was treated in the complex & post-trauma deformity group (complex deformity) at the Dr. Donghoon institute (DALRI) in Seoul.
This is an alignment or limb-length correction, so the source record carries no centimetre gain; the result is read from the mechanical axis on the radiographs instead.
The series on this page contains 4 images, in the order the hospital published them.
Technique and segment
LATN (Lengthening And Then Nailing) lengthens on an external frame first and inserts the nail once the target length is reached, shortening frame time and reducing the risk of the regenerate bending after removal.
Tibial lengthening runs through the calf and Achilles complex, which tightens quickly, so physiotherapy during distraction focuses on ankle range; the safe gain per segment is usually smaller than in the femur.
Timeline and how to read the radiographs
In deformity-correction cases the distraction phase is shorter than in height cases, because the goal is realignment rather than distance gained.
The source record does not state the follow-up month. Lengthened bone typically consolidates fully around 12-18 months after surgery.
Daily physiotherapy through the distraction phase is the single strongest predictor of the result: patients who stop stretching run into joint stiffness far more often than into problems with the bone itself.
All images are published by the Dr. Donghoon institute (DALRI) and shown with permission. Individual results vary; these cases are not a guarantee of outcome.
