Tibial lengthening, 8 cm gained
A complex deformity case at the Dr. Donghoon institute (DALRI), Korea, 8 cm of bone lengthened (LATN · 8 months post-op), with 10 before and after radiographs.
- Category
- Complex deformity
- Gained
- 8 cm
- Height
- —
- Follow-up
- 8 months
Drag the handle to compare before and after (arrow keys work too). Before and after complex deformity, case 16724288, 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.
The record states 8 cm of lengthening but no before/after height, so only the verified figure is shown.
The series on this page contains 10 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
At the standard rate of about 0.75 mm per day, the 8 cm gained here corresponds to roughly 107 days of distraction — about 4 months — before the consolidation phase begins.
This series was taken 8 months after surgery. The new bone is approaching the density of native bone, and most patients are walking normally by this point.
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.
