Thirty-eight patients underwent forty lengthenings of the lower
extremity between October 1972 and January 1979. There were twenty-four
femoral and sixteen tibial lengthenings. The average length gained was 6.59
centimeters for the patients with femoral lengthenings and 4.77 centimeters
for those with tibial lengthenings. While the over-all complication rate
was high (92 per cent), it did not significantly affect the ultimate goal
of equalization of limb length. We think that the Wagner method is the
procedure of choice for continuous distraction lengthening when the
severity of the limb-length inequality merits major surgical
intervention.