Extended Limb Lengthening The following position summary is not intended to either advocate for or condemn extended limb lengthening. It is meant to be a measured summary of information that may be of value to members of the small stature community and members of Little People of America.
Although the acute complication rate associated with ELL has been reduced, it is still substantial.
Prospective patients should be of an age to participate fully in these discussions and in the decision-making process. We recommend that before, during and after ELL operative procedures, evaluation should include:
All of these evaluations will require the cooperative involvement of orthopedic surgeons, physical and occupational therapists, medical geneticists, radiologists, psychologists and/or psychiatrists, and social workers in longitudinal management. We caution prospective patients and their families to seek out institutions that offer the broad multidisciplinary approach that is needed. An institution should have a program with special emphasis and expertise in skeletal dysplasia. The institution should be equipped to follow the patient for a decade or more. © Little People of America |