Limb Lengthening to Gradually Grow Bones Often after a severe injury and treatment of chronic infection in the lower extremities, patients have legs of different length also known as a leg length discrepancy. Limb lengthening is a specialized procedure used to restore limb length, which should only be performed by a surgeon with a breadth of experience in this area. The process works to gradually grow new bone and soft tissue by pulling apart the bone at a very slow rate.

In the past, the only option available for limb lengthening typically required the use of an external fixator device involving pins and frames. In the early 1990's Dr. Cole traveled to the Soviet Union to learn the lengthening principles from Ilizarov, the physician who developed the conventional external fixators and practices. After his return to the United States, Dr. Cole used this knowledge and the external devices to lengthen bones and address deformities. He is intimately familiar with the technique as well as the inconveniences of the external devices used for lengthening.

For the next 20 years he worked on designing and perfecting a device that could be used inside the bone to obtain length in a predictable manner. In 2000, Dr. Cole invented the only FDA approved completely internal device to lengthen the limb with a nail inside the bone, called the Intramedullary Skeletal Kinetic Distractor (ISKD). Dr. Cole developed this unique device used "inside the bone" to lengthen the short bone and eventually allow the patient to wear shoes of the same height. Since then, more than 100 of Dr. Cole's patients have been treated with this device. Trained orthopaedic surgeons in a few major orthopaedic centers in the United States and Europe are currently using the ISKD.

You may be a candidate for limb lengthening if:

You are unhappy with your below average height (cosmetic lengthening)
You have one leg shorter than the other due to trauma or birth deformity
You are experiencing back pain due to a leg length discrepancy

And:

You are ready to commit to the process
You have a thorough understanding of the techniques and their limitations

At the Fracture Care Center a dedicated ISKD Coordinator will follow patients through each phase of their procedure process to ensure all questions and concerns are answered. Available 24 hours a day, seven days per week, the Coordinator is the direct connection to Dr. Cole for patients and their family before and after surgery.

Dr. Cole's revolutionary limb lengthening procedure and device have extremely successful outcomes. For more information about limb lengthening, call the Fracture Care Center at (407) 895-8890 or contact us online to schedule a consultation.

Website design & internet marketing by Sales & Marketing Technologies.