Deformity correction is a procedure to straighten a bone that is bent or twisted in a way that is not normal. After the bone is straightened, the arm, leg, or foot has normal alignment and function. Deformities can be corrected in two different ways:
All at once during a surgical procedure (called acute correction)
Slowly over the course of several weeks or months (called gradual correction)
The doctor will choose the best approach for each patient based on his/her unique situation. Watch this video to learn about Karie’s journey during her leg-straightening treatment:
During surgery, the doctor makes a cut across the bone to create two separate bone segments. This surgical procedure to cut a bone is called an osteotomy. Then the doctor will straighten the bone.
After the bone is positioned correctly, the doctor inserts an internal device to keep the bone in the corrected position while it heals. The internal device may be an internal nail/rod or a metal plate. Sometimes additional soft-tissue procedures are done at the same time to allow the muscles and nerves to accommodate the correction. After the bone heals, the internal device may be removed during a second surgery.
If the bone is straightened too slowly, the bone may heal before it has been fully straightened. The doctor will want to see the patient often (every 1 to 2 weeks) during the distraction phase to prevent premature consolidation.
Even though the typical rate of correction is 1 mm per day, each person responds differently to bone lengthening. Some people’s bones heal very quickly, and the regenerate bone may harden before treatment is completed. This is called premature consolidation. When the regenerate bone hardens too quickly, the bone may heal before it is completely straight or fully aligned.
The early stages of premature consolidation can be detected on X-rays. When this starts to happen, one option is to increase the rate that the bone segments are pulled apart. For example, the patient may be told to increase the rate of distraction from 1 mm per day up to 2 mm per day. If the regenerate bone has entirely consolidated, the bone may need to be surgically cut again so that lengthening can continue.