Introduction. Deformity influences the weight bearing stresses on the knee joint. Correction of mechanical alignment is performed to offload the knee and slow the rate of degenerative change. Fixator assisted deformity correction facilitates accurate correction prior to internal fixation. We present our results with standard Ilizarov and UNYCO system assisted deformity correction of the lower limb. Materials and Methods. Retrospective analysis of adult surgical cases of mechanical re-alignment performed between 2010 and 2019 in a tertiary referral centre. We recorded standard demographics and operative time from the electronic patient record. We analysed digitalised radiographs to record pre- and post-operative measurements of: Mechanical axis deviation (MAD), femoral tibial angle (FTA), Medial Proximal tibial angle (MPTA) and Mechanical lateral distal femoral angle (mLDFA). The accuracy of the correction was analysed. Time to healing, secondary interventions and complications were also recorded. Results. 7 patients underwent fixator assisted deformity correction with the UNYCO system and 11 with a standard Ilizarov frame. Mean pre-op MAD was 45.8mm in the UNYCO group and 43.4mm in Ilazrov; Mean post-op MAD was 9.5mm in the UNYCO group (5–15) and 12.3 in the Ilizarov group (1–25) p=0.07. The average surgical time in the UNYCO group was 200 minutes (128–325) and 252 minutes (203–301) in the Ilizarov group p=0.07. The mean post op MPTA was 90.2 (87–96) in the UNYCO group and 87.4 (81–94) in the Ilizarov group. The mean mLDFA was 90.0(81–93.5) in the UNYCO group and 87.3(82.2–93.9) in the Ilizarov group. All the corrections involved a plate or nail fixation and mean time to union was 76.3 days in the UNYCO and 117.3 in the Ilizarov group. Conclusions. Both systems allowed accurate correction of deformity and limb alignment. In this small series we were unable to show a difference in theatre time. The application of the principles of deformity correction are as important as the surgical methods

Deformity surgery is planned using the CORA method. The Taylor Spatial Frame. ¯. is a six-axis deformity correction device in which this method can be put to use through the web-based software. Until recently there was no way of planning the correction with a computer. This was done with standard radiographs with the help of pencils, rulers and protractors or a linefinder. ¯. Orthocrat. ¯. has developed a piece of software that can plan the deformity correction from 2 orthogonal radiographs which can be imported into the computer via a PACS server as a DICOM image or as a JPEG. A Taylor Spatial Frame was programmed with a 5 degree valgus angle, with and without using the web based software in a chronic deformity mode of correction. The deformities were then analysed on paper with a linefinder and with the SpatialCAD. ¯. software. The measured deformities were programmed into the web-based software in Total Residual Mode. The final frame configuration was then established based on the initial frame parameters. The programming based on the SpatialCAD. ¯. software gave a more accurate result than the linefinder technique. The SpatialCAD. ¯. software is a useful tool for the planning of deformity correction with the Taylor Spatial Frame. ¯. It is especially useful when the frame is mounted off the orthogonal axis of the limb or the frame is radiographed out of the plane of the reference ring. Interestingly the results showed that the accuracy of the deformity correction was much better when radiographs were taken in the plane of the reference ring using SpatialCAD, whereas the deformity correction was no more accurate with the linefinder method when comparing planar and non-planar radiographs

Intrathecal morphine (IM) is a common adjunct in paediatric spinal deformity surgery. We previously demonstrated with idiopathic scoliosis it provides safe and effective analgesia in the immediate postoperative period. This study represents our 25 year experience with IM in all diagnostic groups. Our prospective Pediatric Orthopaedic Spine Database (1993–2018) was reviewed to identify all patients undergoing spinal deformity surgery who received IM and who did not. Patients 21 years of age or less who had a posterior spinal fusion (PSF) with segmental spinal instrumentation (SSI), and received 9–19 mcg/kg (up to 1 mg) of IM were included. Early onset scoliosis surgical patients were excluded. We assessed demographics, pain scores, time to first dose of opioids, diagnoses, surgical time, paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission and IM complications (respiratory depression, pruritus, nausea/ vomiting). There were 986 patients who met inclusion criteria. This included 760 patients who received IM and 226 who did not. IM was not used for short procedures (< 3 hrs), respiratory concerns, unsuccessful access of intrathecal space, paraplegia, and anesthesiologist decision. Both groups followed the same strict perioperative care path. The patients were divided into 5 diagnostic groups (IM / non IM patients): idiopathic (578/28), neuromuscular (100/151), syndromic (36/17), and congenital scoliosis (32/21) and kyphosis (14/9). Females predominated over males (697/289). The first dose of opioids after surgery was delayed for a mean of 10.6 hrs in IM group compared to 2.3 hrs in the non-IM group (p=0.001). The postoperative pain scores were significantly lower in the IM groups in the Post Anesthesia Care Unite (p=0.001). Only 17 IM patients (2%) were admitted to the PICU for observation secondary to respiratory depression, none required re-intubation. None of the IM group were re-intubated. Forty-nine patients (6%) experienced pruritus in the IM group compared to 4 of 226 patients (2%) in the non IM group. There were 169 patients (22%) of the IM patients and 21 patients (9%) of the non IM had nausea and vomiting postoperatively. Three patients (0.39%) had a dural leak from the administration of IM but did not require surgical repair. There were no other perioperative complications related to the use of IM. There were no significant group differences. Pre-incision IM is a safe and effective adjunct for pain management in all diagnostic groups undergoing spinal surgery. The IM patients had lower pain scores and a longer time to first administration of post-operative opioids. Although there is an increased frequency of respiratory depression, pruritus, and nausea/vomiting in the IM group, there were no serious complications

Aims. The aims of this prospective study were to determine the effect of osteophyte excision on deformity correction and soft- tissue gap balance in varus knees undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Patients and Methods. Limb deformity in coronal (varus) and sagittal (flexion) planes, medial and lateral gap distances in maximum knee extension and 90° knee flexion and maximum knee flexion were recorded before and after excision of medial femoral and tibial osteophytes using computer navigation in 164 patients who underwent 221 computer-assisted, cemented, cruciate- substituting TKAs. Results. Mean varus and flexion deformities of 4.5°±3° (0.5° to 30° varus) and 4.9°±5.9° (−15° hyperextension to 30° flexion) reduced significantly (p<0.0001) to mean varus deformity of 1°±2.3° and mean flexion deformity of 2.7°±4.2° after excision of medial femoral and tibial osteophytes. The mean medio-lateral (ML) soft-tissue gap difference in maximum knee extension and 90°knee flexion of 2.7±3.6mm and 0.7±2.6mm reduced significantly (p<0.0001) to mean ML soft-tissue gap difference of 0.7±2.5mm in maximum knee extension and 0.1±1.9mm in 90°knee flexion. The mean maximum knee flexion (122.8°±8.4°) increased significantly to mean maximum knee flexion of (125°±8°). Conclusion. Excision of medial femoral and tibial osteophytes during TKA in varus knees significantly improves varus and flexion deformities, mediolateral soft-tissue gap imbalance in maximum extension and in 90°knee flexion and maximum knee flexion. Clinical Relevance. Excision of medial femoral and tibial osteophytes can be a useful, initial step towards achieving deformity correction and gap balance without having to resort to soft-tissue release during TKA in varus knees

Introduction. Lower limb mal-alignment as a result of fracture malunion can result in knee degenerative arthritis or predispose to early arthroplasty failure due to the altered mechanical axis. The choice of corrective osteotomy is often determined by potential complications. Opening wedge osteotomy is associated with poor bone healing especially in adult diaphyseal bone. Distraction osteogenesis enables gradual deformity correction with the gap filled by regenerate bone. Bone formation however is formed less favourably in the diaphysis and metaphyseal osteotomy is advised. We present a consecutive series of adult tibial diaphyseal correction using the Taylor Spatial Frame utilising the method of distraction osteogenesis. Method. 15 adults, 11 male and 3 female, underwent tibial deformity correction. A mid diaphyseal osteotomy was made using minimal soft tissue dissection and an osteotome. The site was determined by the centre of rotation of angulation (CORA). After a 6 day latency period distraction was undertaken by the Taylor Spatial Frame. Patients were encouraged to fully weight bear throughout the treatment process. Following regenerate consolidation the frame was removed and a below knee weight bearing cast applied for 4 weeks. Result. A mean correction of 11 degrees (4∼19) was undertaken. Correction time was a mean 13.5 days (6∼22). All osteotomies consolidated and frame removal was after a mean 136 days (92–192). All patients had at least one superficial pin site infection which responded to oral antibiotics. There were no deep infections or significant complications. Conclusion. Deformity correction at the CORA produces realignment without translation. The Taylor Spatial Frame allows accurate virtual hinge placement and stable correction of adult bone. Concern over diaphyseal osteotomy in adult bone has been previously raised but our study confirms that tibial diaphyseal correction using distraction osteogenesis is successful with minimal morbidity and rapid return to function. We believe that this should be considered as the optimal technique when undertaking tibial diaphyseal deformity correction

We reported the outcomes of patients with Charcot neuropathy who underwent hind foot deformity correction using retrograde intramedullary nail arthrodesis. Twenty one feet in 20 patients, aged 45 to 83 years, with a mean BMI of 32.7 and a median ASA score of 3, were included in this study. All patients presented with severe hindfoot deformities and 15 had recurrent ulceration. All patients were treated with hindfoot corrective fusion and seven patients also underwent simultaneous mid foot fusion using a bolt or locking plate. After a mean follow up of 26 months, none of the cases required any form of amputation. Eighty percent of patients with ulceration achieved healing and all but one patient returned to independent ambulation. One nail fracture and three mid foot metal work failure resulted in fixation failure requiring revision surgery. Distal locking screw displacement occurred only with standard screws but not with hydroxyapatite-coated screws. The AAOS-FAO score improved from 50.7 to 65.2 (p=0.015). The EQ-5D-5L improved from 0.63 to 0.67 (p=0.012) and the SF-36 PCS from 25.2 to 29.8 (p=0.003). Single stage deformity correction with intramedullary hindfoot arthrodesis nail is a viable treatment option for severe Charcot hindfoot deformity with ulceration and instability

Background:. Spinal deformity surgery carries the risk of loss of neurological function which may be permanent. Although the overall the incidence is low it is much higher in complex congenital deformities or those with pre-existing myelopathy. Intra-operative spinal cord monitoring allows this risk to be reduced by providing feedback to the surgeon while the corrective manoeuvres are performed. Although ideally a trained technician with multimodal monitoring is recommended, it is often not an option in a resource limited environment and surgeon operated technology is used. Aim:. to evaluate the use of surgeon operated trans-cranial motor evoked potentials (tcMEP) in spinal deformity surgery. Methods:. A retrospective review was conducted on a single surgeon series of 108 consecutive cases utilising the NIM system (Medtronic). Percutaneous needles were employed in the scalp, both hands and feet to allow the upper limbs to act as controls. Forty-nine patients were 13 years old or less, 47 were 14–18, and 12 adults. The cohort consisted of 54 AIS, 27 neuromuscular scoliosis, 14 congenital, 2 old TB and 11 miscellaneous. The vast majority were posterior based procedures. Results:. In 4 cases initial traces could not be obtained. One was a severe myelopathy and further efforts to monitor were abandoned. In one case the anaesthetist had broken protocol and once converted to TIVA the traces improved. Two others were poor initially but improved as the case progressed. In 8 cases intra-operative traces were lost. One was thought to be due to hypothermia and the patient woke intact. Two were unrelated to surgical intervention and recovered spontaneously with patients waking intact. Four cases deteriorated during the corrective manoeuvre (one delayed) and recovered with reduction of correction. One case required removal of instrumentation after repeated loss each time rods were inserted and awoke with a weak leg but recovered and was re-operated two weeks later. Conclusion:. Surgeon operated tcMEP's allows feedback in terms of safety of deformity correction with a 100% negative predictive value and an 8% incidence of signal loss during correction allowing immediate remedial action

Introduction. Several hexapod external fixator devices are used in the treatment of bone fracture and deformity corrections. One characteristic of all of them is the requirement for manual adjustment of the fixator struts. The purpose of this study was to introduce a novel robotic system that executes automatic adjustment of the struts. Materials and Methods. Ten patients were treated for various bone deformities using a hexapod external fixator with Auto Strut system, which implemented automatic adjustment of the fixator struts. Patients arrived at the clinic for follow during the correction period until the removal of the hardware. During each visit, the progress of the correction was assessed (clinically and radiographically) and reading of the strut scale numbers was performed. Results. All patients completed the treatment plan during the follow up period achieving all planned correction goals. Healing of the bone ranged between approximately one to seven months. Duration of distraction ranged between 10 and 90 days. The distraction index ranged between 8 and 15 days/cm. The length of distraction varied between 1 and 6 cm. The planned corrections were fully attained in all patients who completed the treatment (n=10). No device related adverse events were reported. One patient was not available for registration of struts length, one patient switched to manual struts due to personal preference.48 struts of eight patients were recorded, 94% of the final strut number readings presented a displacement of 0–1 mm, three struts (6%) had 2–3 mm displacement due to inter-observer reading errors. indicating high precision of the automatic adjustment. Conclusions. This study presents preliminary result, showing that Auto Strut can successfully replace the manual strut adjustment providing important advantages that benefit the patient, the caregiver and the surgeon

Background. Lateral column lengthening combining bony and soft tissue procedures has been described for symptom relief and deformity correction in the planovalgus foot. There are relatively few reports on its outcomes in childhood. We present our medium term outcomes using this technique in children. Methods. Twenty-five symptomatic mobile planovalgus feet in fifteen patients were operated upon between 2005 and 2008. The mean age at surgery was 12 years 6 months. Ten patients had idiopathic pes planovalgus, two had overcorrected congenital talipes equinovarus, and one had skewfoot deformity. The surgery included one or more bony elements - lengthening calcaneal osteotomy, heel shift, medial cuneiform osteotomy - iliac crest tricortical bone graft harvest and one or more soft tissue procedures - peroneus brevis/peroneus longus transfer, plantar fascia release and tibialis posterior advancement. The extent of surgery was decided per-operatively in an a la carte fashion. The Visual Analogue Score for Foot and Ankle (VAS FA) and American Foot and Ankle Association (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot and midfoot scores were measured. Clinical findings and complications were recorded. Results. Twenty feet in twelve patients were available for follow up at a mean post-operative interval of 4 years 6 months. The mean VAS FA, AOFAS ankle-hindfoot and midfoot scores were 82 ± 17, 87 ± 14 and 80 ± 10 respectively. In all patients the medial arch was restored. One patient required bilateral lateral column shortening and medial cuneiform osteotomy to address overcorrection and supination, one had bilateral calcaneal screw removal and one had a subsequent heel shift. Conclusions. A la carte lateral column lengthening combining bony and soft tissue procedures for the symptomatic planovalgus foot is a powerful technique. We have shown satisfactory functional medium term outcomes with this surgery, and believe it can be used in childhood for symptomatic planovalgus foot deformity correction

Introduction

Coronal malalignment and leg length discrepancies (LLD) are frequently associated. Temporary hemiepiphysiodesis (tHED) is commonly employed for the correction of limb malalignment in skeletally immature patients. For treatment of LLD greater than 2 cm, lengthening with intramedullary legnthening nails is a safe and reliable technique. However, the combined application of these approaches in skeletally immature patients has not yet been investigated.

Introduction

Osteogenesis imperfect (OI) is a geno- and phenotypically heterogeneous group of congenital collagen disorders characterized by fragility and microfractures resulting in long bone deformities. OI can lead to progressive femoral coxa vara from bone and muscular imbalance and continuous microfracture about the proximal femur. If left untreated, patients develop Trendelenburg gait, leg length discrepancy, further stress fracture and acute fracture at the apex of the deformity, impingement and hip joint degeneration. In the OI patient, femoral coxa vara cannot be treated in isolation and consideration must be given to protecting the whole bone with the primary goal of verticalization and improved biomechanical stability to allow early loading, safe standing, re-orientation of the physis and avoidance of untreated sequelae. Implant constructs should therefore be designed to accommodate and protect the whole bone. The normal paediatric femoral neck shaft angle (FNSA) ranges from 135 to 145 degrees. In OI the progressive pathomechanical changes result in FNSA of significantly less than 120 degrees and decreased Hilgenreiner epiphyseal angles (HEA). Proximal femoral valgus osteotomy is considered the standard surgical treatment for coxa vara and multiple surgical techniques have been described, each with their associated complications. In this paper we present the novel technique of controlling femoral version and coronal alignment using a tubular plate and long bone protection with the use of teleoscoping rods.

The extent of soft-tissue release and the exact structures that need to be released to correct deformity and balance the knee has been a controversial subject in primary total knee arthroplasty. Asian patients often present late and consequently may have profound deformities due to significant bone loss and contractures on the concave side, and stretching of the collateral ligament on the convex side. Extra-articular deformities may aggravate the situation further and make correction of these deformities and restoration of ‘balance’ more arduous. These considerations do not apply if a hinged prosthesis is used, as may be warranted in an elderly, low-demand patient. However, in active, younger patients, it may be best to avoid use of excess constraint by balancing the soft-tissues and using the least constrained implant.

Releasing collateral ligaments during TKA has unintended consequences such as the creation of significant mediolateral instability and a flexion gap which exceeds the extension gap; both of these may require a constrained prosthesis to achieve stability. We will show that soft-tissue balance can be achieved even in cases of severe varus, valgus, flexion and hyperextension deformities without collateral ligament release.

The steps are: 1) Determining pre-operatively whether deformity is predominantly intra-articular or extra-articular, 2) Individualizing the valgus resection angle and bony resection depth, 3) Meticulous removal of osteophytes, 4) Reduction osteotomy, posteromedial capsule resection, sliding medial or lateral condylar osteotomy, extra-articular corrective osteotomy, 5) Compensating for bone loss, 6)Only rarely deploying a more constrained device.

Case examples will be presented to illustrate the entire spectrum of varus deformities.

Aims

Computer hexapod assisted orthopaedic surgery (CHAOS), is a method to achieve the intra-operative correction of long bone deformities using a hexapod external fixator before definitive internal fixation with minimally invasive stabilisation techniques.

The aims of this study were to determine the reliability of this method in a consecutive case series of patients undergoing femoral deformity correction, with a minimum six-month follow-up, to assess the complications and to define the ideal group of patients for whom this treatment is appropriate.

Introduction. Somatosensory evoked potential (SSEP) monitoring allows for assessment of the spinal cord and susceptible structures during complex spinal surgery. It is well validated for the detection of potential neurological injury but little is known of surgeon's responses to an abnormal trace and its effect on neurological outcome. We aimed to investigate this in spinal deformity patients who are particularly vulnerable during their corrective surgery. Methods. Our institutional neurophysiology database was analysed between 1. st. October 2005 and 31. st. March 2010. Monitoring was performed by a team of trained neurophysiology technicians who were separate from the surgical team. A significant trace was defined as a 50% reduction in trace amplitude or a 10% increase in signal latency. Patients suffering a significant trace event were examined post-operatively by a Consultant Neurologist who was separate from the surgical team. Results. 2386 consecutive operations (F:1719, M:667 median age 16 yrs) were performed in the time period and 72 operations reported a significant trace event (‘red alert’). From these cases 47 (65%) had a clearly documented intervention by the surgeon and 7 patients overall suffered a lasting neurological deficit (0.3%). The most common timing events were during instrumentation (50%) and during correction/distraction (16%). Most common responses were optimisation of patient/monitoring set-up (23%) and adjustment of metalwork (22%). There were 18 wake-up tests performed. We found SSEP monitoring to have a sensitivity of 100%, specificity 97.4%, positive predictive value 14% and negative predictive value 100%. A Chi-square test (p=0.016) was significant suggesting intervention had a beneficial effect on neurological outcome. Conclusion. We would advocate the use of SSEP monitoring in all patients undergoing spinal deformity surgery. These patients tend to be young, neurologically intact pre-operatively and are particularly vulnerable to the large corrective forces their surgery requires

The evolution of operative technology has allowed correction of complex spinal deformities. Neurological deficits following spinal instrumentation is a devastating complication and the risk is especially high in those with complex sagittal and coronal plane deformities. Prior to intraoperative evoked potential monitoring, spinal cord function was tested using the Stagnara Wake up test, typically performed after instrumentation once the desired correction has been achieved. This test is limited as it does not reflect the timeframe in which the problem occurred and it may be dangerous to some patients. Intraoperative neuromonitoring allows timely feedback of the effect of instrumentation and curve correction on the spinal cord. Pedicle screws that are malpositioned can result in poor fixation or neuronal injury. Evoked EMG monitoring can aid in accurate placement. A positive EMG response can alert the surgeon to a potential pedicle breech and allow them to reassess the placement of their hardware intraoperatively. The stimulation threshold is affected by the amount of surrounding bone acting as an insulator to electrical conduction and is variable in different regions of the spine. In the non-deformed, lumbar spine stimulation thresholds have been established. Such guidelines have not been well-developed for the thoracic spine, or for severely scoliotic spines. Thus our primary objective was to compare the stimulation threshold of the apical pedicle on the concave side to the stimulation threshold of the pedicles at the upper and lower instrumented levels.

Intraoperative EMG stimulation thresholds were done at 192 apical pedicles on the concave side of the deformity and then compared to those thresholds found at 169 terminal level pedicles. Only pedicles for which a stimulation threshold was found were reported and excluded those where a breech was suspected. The lowest stimulation required for an EMG response was documented to a maximum stimulation of 20 mA.

The mean threshold at the apex was 16.62 milliamps (mA) compared to 18.25mA at the terminal levels. This was compared with the t-test and showed a statistically significant difference (p<0.05).

In this study we report only the thresholds for the concave side, the pedicle that is most likely to be reduced in size. The threshold for stimulation is reduced compared to those seen at the highest and lowest instrumented level. Most of the apexes are located in the mid-thoracic spine with the highest instrumented levels being in the high thoracic spine and the lowest levels being in the lumbar spine. This study provides preliminary evidence that the apical, concave pedicle has a lower threshold than the end pedicles and one cannot rely on established thresholds from different areas of the spine. The surgeon should be cognisant of these differences when instrumenting at the apical level. Ongoing work is examining the convex apex threshold as well as the relationship between the effect of age and a diagnosis other than adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

This study addresses the evolution of the orthopaedic management of patients with hypophosphatemic rickets, with the aim of providing skeletal mature aligned lower limbs, with minimal surgical insult.

Any intervention for limb with compromised bone and soft tissue in paediatric age group is often studded with complications of flare of infection, wound breakdown, delayed healing or failure of grafting. We report our experience with managing 8 such cases with periosteal sleeve taken from tibia along with fibular grafting.

The lesion was gap non-union following bone sequestration in 7 cases (2 proximal humerus; 4 femur and one metacarpal) and one case tibia vara in post osteomyelitic tibia. The infective lesions were silent for minimum of 1 year before this procedure. The periosteal sleeve was taken from proximal tibia and fibular graft was also procured from same leg. Following freshening of bone ends, the fibular graft was applied at non-union/osteotomy site and enclosed in the freshly harvested periosteal sleeve. The limb was protected in plaster cast for 6 weeks and assessed clinicoradiologically at 3 and 6 weeks intervals.

Uneventful union followed in 7 cases in 6 weeks time. In one case of proximal humerus, the osteosynthesis attempt failed. The periosteal and fibular graft site posed minimal morbidity for the child.

Aims

Double-level lengthening, bone transport, and bifocal compression-distraction are commonly undertaken using Ilizarov or other fixators. We performed double-level fixator-assisted nailing, mainly for the correction of deformity and lengthening in the same segment, using a straight intramedullary nail to reduce the time in a fixator.

Introduction. Charcot neuroarthropathy is a limb threatening condition and the optimal surgical strategy for limb salvage in gross foot deformity remains unclear. We present our experience of using fine wire frames to correct severe midfoot deformity, followed by internal beaming to maintain the correction. Materials and Methods. Nine patients underwent this treatment between 2020–2023. Initial deformity correction by Ilizarov or hexapod butt frame was followed by internal beaming with a mean follow up of 11 months. A retrospective analysis of radiographs and electronic records was performed. Meary's angle, calcaneal pitch, cuboid height, hindfoot midfoot angle and AP Meary's angle were compared throughout treatment. Complications, length of stay and the number of operations are also described. Results. Mean age was 53 years (range:40–59). Mean frame duration was 3.3 months before conversion to beaming. Prior frame-assisted deformity correction resulted in consistently improved radiological parameters. Varying degrees of subsequent collapse were universal, but 5 patients still regained mobility and a stable, plantargrade, ulcer-free foot. Complications were common, including hardware migration (N=6,66%), breakage (N=2,22%), loosening (N=3,33%), infection (N=4,44%), 1 amputation and an unscheduled reoperation rate of 55%. Mean cumulative length of stay was 42 days. Conclusions. Aggressive deformity correction and internal fixation for Charcot arthropathy requires strategic and individualised care plans. Complications are expected for each patient. Patients must understand this is a limb salvage scenario. This management strategy is resource heavy and requires timely interventions at each stage with a well-structured MDT delivering care. The departmental learning points are to be discussed

Introduction. Management of deformity involving limb length discrepancy (LLD) using intramedullary devices offers significant benefits to both patients and clinicians over traditional external fixation. Following the withdrawal of the PRECICE nail, the Fitbone became the primary implant available for intramedullary lengthening and deformity correction within our service. This consecutive series illustrates the advantages and complications associated with the use of this device, and describes a novel technique modification for antegrade intramedullary lengthening nails. Materials & Methods. A retrospective cohort review was performed of patient outcomes after treatment with the Fitbone nail at two tertiary referral limb reconstruction services (one adult, one paediatric) between January 2021 to December 2023. Aetiology, indications, initial and final LLD, use of concomitant rail assisted deformity correction (ORDER), removal time and healing index were assessed. Complications of treatment were evaluated and described in detail, alongside technique modifications to reduce the rate of these complications. Results. 21 nails (18 femoral, 2 tibial, 1 humeral) were inserted in 6 adult and 13 paediatric patients. Post-traumatic and congenital/developmental LLD were the most common indications for surgery in the adult and paediatric cohorts respectively. ORDER was employed in 11 cases (9 femurs and 2 tibias). Treatment goals were achieved in all but one case. Complications included superficial infection, locking bolt migration, periprosthetic fracture and component failure. Seven patients required unplanned returns to theatre. Conclusions. The Fitbone nail is an established option for intramedullary limb lengthening, however its use in the UK has been relatively limited compared to the PRECICE until 2021. Our data helps to define its place for limb lengthening and complex deformity correction in both adult and paediatric patients, including in humeral lengthening and retrograde femoral insertion across an open physis. We have identified important potential risks and novel techniques to simplify surgery and avoid complications