Staged lengthening in the prevention of dwarfism in achondroplastic children: a preliminary report.

We present our experience, since 1983, in lower-limb lengthening for the treatment of achondroplasic dwarfism. We stress the importance of our method, staged lengthening, which includes two separate operations on the tibia, at the ages of 5 and 10, and two on the femurs, at the ages of 6 and 12. This method allows an overall increase in height varying from 30 to 35 cm and has the advantage of minimizing complications, since children tolerate the lengthening-related problems far better. In 9 years 28 children have undergone limb lengthening, and six of these patients have now completed the first three stages, obtaining a total increase in length from 18 to 23 cm. We discuss the staged lengthening program, pointing out advantages and disadvantages of the method.