Children's Hospital 2 successfully lengthened the limb of a 13-year-old boy.

A 13-year-old boy with fibula hypoplasia has had his limb lengthened by doctors at Children's Hospital 2 in Ho Chi Minh City and doctors in France using an external fixator, helping to realign the leg axis and improve the limb length discrepancy.

Doctors are lengthening the limb of a 13-year-old boy - Photo: Provided by the hospital

On the evening of December 2, according to information from Children's Hospital 2, Ho Chi Minh City, doctors from Children's Hospital 2 and a team of doctors from the Children Action program (France) successfully performed a limb lengthening surgery on a 13-year-old boy with fibula hypoplasia - a rare and complex congenital defect in pediatric orthopedics.

The patient was admitted to the hospital with a short and deformed lower leg, ankle instability and limb length discrepancy causing a limp. After examination and consultation with a team of doctors from the Children Action program, the team decided to perform limb lengthening surgery using a specialized external fixator.

For this boy, doctors performed bone surgery and installed an external fixator through small incisions, helping to preserve the periosteum as much as possible so that the new bone can develop well.

After surgery, the leg is slowly lengthened at a rate of 0.5 - 1mm per day; at the same time, the doctor corrects any misalignments such as knee valgus or foot rotation to return the leg to its correct position.

Children receive daily physical therapy to prevent stiffness, muscle atrophy, and maintain mobility. Regular X-rays are taken to monitor new bone formation and adjust treatment as needed.

Doctors say that Fibular Deficiency is a condition in which the fibula does not develop fully or is completely absent, leading to a series of lower limb deformities such as short and curved tibia, misalignment of the knee-shin axis, deformed feet, unstable ankles and difference in leg length.

This is considered one of the most complex diseases of pediatric orthopedics, requiring a comprehensive treatment regimen and long-term follow-up.

After surgery, the patient's progress was very good, the bone axis was clearly adjusted, the bone cross-section was even - favorable for the process of creating new bone, and the child was able to practice standing and walking with support.

The patient's family expressed joy and excitement when witnessing the positive changes in their child every day.

Limb lengthening surgery is a long journey and requires perseverance from the child, family and medical team. However, the current results bring much hope, opening up opportunities to improve gait and enhance the quality of life for children with hypoplastic fibula.

THUY DUONG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/benh-vien-nhi-dong-2-keo-dai-chi-thanh-cong-cho-mot-be-trai-13-tuoi-20251202190608065.htm