Pediatric Limb Lengthening & Complex Reconstruction

Kid-focused limb lengthening and complex reconstruction

UCSF's limb lengthening and complex reconstruction program treats children and young adults with all types of extremity disorders, including those associated with:

• Congenital limb deficiencies and differences

• Developmental conditions

• Traumatic injuries, infections and tumors

• Skeletal dysplasias

Our goal is to improve your child's limb function, comfort and quality of life. We get to know your family, discuss treatment options and provide resources and support.

If you live outside of the Bay Area, we can arrange your child's appointments to accommodate your travel schedule, and we offer virtual appointments for California residents.

Collaborative care from pediatric specialists

Our specialists work together to provide your child with full-spectrum care. Depending on their diagnosis, your child's care team may include specialists in:

• Pediatric orthopedics, including orthopedic trauma, oncology and sports medicine

• Hand surgery and microsurgery

• Pain medicine and pediatric anesthesia

• Rehabilitation, including physical and occupational therapy

• Plastic surgery

• Prosthetics and orthotics

We also offer prenatal consultations for parents carrying a baby with a suspected limb difference.

Advanced limb reconstruction and lengthening procedures

Our pediatric orthopedic surgeons have advanced specialization in limb lengthening, correction and complex reconstruction. We discuss surgical options with you and your child and create an individualized plan for surgery, recovery and rehabilitation.

For complex surgeries, we may use 3D modeling to plan the procedure and create custom surgical tools. This method helps us perform complex reconstructive surgeries with the greatest precision and safety.

Our experienced surgeons perform:

• Joint preservation surgery

• Guided growth surgery

• Amputation reconstruction

• Minimally invasive surgery, including percutaneous osteotomies for lengthening and complex reconstruction

Pediatric limb lengthening surgery

We use distraction osteogenesis, a specialized technique, to lengthen your child's limb. After surgery, we gradually separate the bone ends, creating a gap. Your child's body naturally grows new bone in the gap, slowly healing the bone gap over time.

Innovative techniques for complex limb reconstruction

During your child's reconstructive procedure, we may change the limb's shape, alignment and length using advanced surgical techniques and custom implants, including:

• Remote-controlled magnetic lengthening nails

• Computerized hexapod external fixators (orthopedic system that gradually corrects deformities in multiple planes)

• Masquelet technique (a combination of a temporary spacer and bone grafting)

• Microvascular surgery and tissue transfer

• Surgical tools customized to your child's anatomy based on 3D modeling

Rehabilitation and supportive services

We offer the full spectrum of care to help your child feel and move their best:

• Rehabilitation and physical therapy. Our services include an inpatient rehabilitation program, which is certified by California Children's Services and one of the largest pediatric programs in Northern California. Through inpatient and outpatient rehab services, we help your child recover from surgery and improve their mobility.

• Orthotics and prosthetics. Specialists provide custom support devices and artificial limbs designed to help your child move comfortably.

• Pain medicine. We help ease discomfort before or after surgery through a wide range of pain management options, from medications to acupuncture.

Motion and gait analysis lab

At our motion and gait analysis lab, we use advanced technology to perform an in-depth analysis of how your child walks. We use the collected data to create personalized recommendations to help improve their gait.

Follow-up care

As your child grows and develops, we monitor their limb growth and adjust their care plan if needed. The frequency of your child's follow-up visits depends on their age, condition and progress.

Your child's nurse navigator and social worker are available to answer any questions. They can help you access resources and connect you with support groups and other families going through similar experiences.