Research Information System
CLINICAL ORTHOPAEDICS AND RELATED RESEARCH, no.409, pp.199-208, 2003 (SCI-Expanded)
Sixty-nine lower extremities of 45 patients (mean age, 10 years 8 months) with tibia vara were treated with the Ilizarov circular external fixator and distraction osteogenesis. Twenty-four of the patients had bilateral involvement, six of whom had simultaneous surgery and the remaining 18 had staged operations 8 to 12 months apart. In 11 limbs with femoral valgus deformity greater than 10degrees simultaneous corrections were done. Active movements of the joints of the extremity were encouraged the day after surgery and partial weightbearing began 2 days later. All patients were followed up 27 to 178 months (mean, 80 months) after surgery. No neurovascular complications, delayed union, or nonunions were observed. The mean 28.6degrees varus tibiofemoral angle preoperatively (range, 15degrees-45degrees) improved to 7.5degrees valgus (range, 0degrees-18degrees) postoperatively. The preoperative internal torsion angle also improved from 20.7degrees (range, 0degrees-48degrees) to 3.5degrees external torsion (range, 0degrees-9degrees) postoperatively. Residual deformity was seen in six patients, and they had successful revision surgery using the same technique. The Ilizarov method allows early weightbearing and motion and allows all components of the deformity to be corrected.