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  • Distraction osteogenesis of the humerus: a case of 100% humeral lengthening in a short duration without permanent complications

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Learning from errors
CASE REPORT
Distraction osteogenesis of the humerus: a case of 100% humeral lengthening in a short duration without permanent complications
  1. Sheng Da Jowell Cheng1 and
  2. Kenneth Pak Leung Wong2
  1. 1 MD Program, Duke–NUS Medical School, Singapore
  2. 2 KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore
  1. Correspondence to Sheng Da Jowell Cheng, jowell{at}u.duke.nus.edu

Abstract

A 15-year-old boy with right humeral shortening underwent distraction osteogenesis with 1 mm/day lengthening. Preoperative Sauvegrain method showed skeletal maturity and lengthening did not account for future growth. Functional loading was encouraged 2 months before end of consolidation phase to hasten consolidation and fixator removal was done in the clinic without local anaesthesia at the patient’s request 1 month earlier. A Sarmiento brace was made and compliance taught to the patient; however, the patient did not wear the brace and resumed body weight exercise weeks after removal of the fixator. Two months after removal of the external fixator, plain radiographs showed good recanalisation of the humeral shaft with no fracture or distortion. However, the left humerus grew and is now 1 cm longer than the right humerus. Nevertheless, the patient was satisfied with the upper limb length discrepancy.

  • orthopaedics
  • paediatric surgery

https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2018-228222

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors SDJC wrote the case presentation, outcome, follow-up and discussion of the paper. KPLW was the surgeon who performed the surgery for the patient and also provided all medical care for the patient including follow-up imaging and physical examination. KPLW also reviewed the final version of the paper.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

    • Patient consent for publication Obtained.