Orthopedic Services
Limb Lengthening Success Stories, Jason Stoneback, MD
A patient with a limb length difference, whose stature was corrected by Dr. Stoneback at the University of Colorado. The patient had limb lengthening surgery and a malunion repaired by Dr. Stoneback. Limb lengthening surgery is a type of stature correction surgery.
This patient had a critical bone loss nonunion that resulted in a limb length discrepancy. The patient was treated by Dr. Stoneback and his team with limb lengthening surgery using a Taylor Spatial Frame.
This patient had one leg that was longer than the other and had a bone deformity in their tibia. The patient underwent limb lengthening surgery and deformity correction surgery by Dr. Stoneback and his team at CU.
This patient had a genu varus (knock knee) deformity and a limb length difference resulting in an unstable knee. The patient underwent a two-staged correction to address the genu varus and unstable knee using limb lengthening surgery and corrective osteotomies.
Limb Deformity Correction
- Fracture Nonunions
- Fracture Malunions
- Genu Varum - Knock Knees
- Genu Valgum - Bowlegs
- Arthrogryposis
Deformity Correction Surgery is when an orthopedic surgeon fixes a bone that is causing part of an arm or leg to bend or rotate abnormally. Some limb deformities, such as arthrogryposis, knock knees, and bowlegs, occur at birth (congenital). Other limb deformities are caused by a health condition or traumatic injury later in life such as a bone fracture. If the deformity is severe enough, it may require deformity correction surgery. Deformity correction surgery involves an osteotomy (cut) into the bone, which then can be set and healed in the correct position. Deformity correction surgery is a specialty of the University of Colorado Limb Restoration Program. One example of a deformity correction surgery is limb lengthening surgery, which addresses limb length differences.
Limb Lengthening Surgery
- Limb length discrepancies
- Limb length differences
- Bone transport surgery
- Ilizarov Technique
A limb length discrepancy is when one leg or one arm is longer than the other. If one limb is longer than the other by a large amount, it can cause mobility issues and pain and may require limb lengthening surgery. Limb lengthening surgery is a stature correction treatment that can lengthen a limb by allowing your body to slowly grow new bone. Limb lengthening surgery techniques include bone transport surgery and the Ilizarov Technique. While healing and growing, the limb that underwent limb lengthening surgery is stabilized using an external ring fixator such as a Taylor Spatial Frame.
Stature Correction
- Growth abnormalities
- Rotational abnormalities
- Growth plate injuries
Stature correction is a type of deformity correction surgery that fixes uneven leg lengths or corrects how someone walks. An abnormality in the way a bone grows can cause a growth abnormality or a rotational abnormality. A growth abnormality is when a limb does not grow as much as it should, and a rotational abnormality is when a bone or limb is rotated too far inwards or outwards. If the abnormality is severe enough, stature correction surgery may be needed. Chronic health conditions, genetic conditions, and hormone deficiencies can all cause changes in stature and require stature correction. Stature correction may also be needed if stature is affected by a traumatic injury, such as an injury to the growth plate of a bone. Another example of stature correction surgery is limb lengthening surgery.
Osseointegration
- Novel osseointegration surgery in amputees
- Press-Fit Implants
- OPRA Implants
- Single Stage Surgeries
Osseointegration is an advanced orthopedic surgical procedure where an implant is fixed within a bone to extend a limb and eliminate the need for a traditional prosthesis. The implant acts as an extension of the residual limb and helps restore function and reduce pain. Osseointegration can restore balance and proprioception as well as osseoperception, which means the patient is aware of where their limb is in space and can sense physical sensations like ground surface changes. The University of Colorado Limb Restoration Program is one of the few places in the world where this surgery is performed with both press-fit and screw-fit type implants.
Amputee Care & Orthopedic Reconstruction
- Limb amputation
- Limb salvage
- Amputation correction
Limb salvage is a surgery that preserves the limb by removing part of a bone that is damaged or has a tumor. The limb can then be replaced with an implant, bone graft, or prosthesis. If a limb has previously undergone amputation but experienced complications, amputation reconstruction surgery may be needed to create a more functional residual limb. Limb loss can occur for several reasons: traumatic injury, diabetes, vascular disease, or severe infection. Dr. Stoneback and the Limb Restoration Program aim to prevent amputation if at all possible and provide options to those facing or living with limb loss.
Orthopedic Trauma & Fracture Care
- Severe traumatic injuries
- Rodeo injuries
- Osteomyelitis
- Brachial plexus surgery
Dr. Stoneback serves as the Chief of the Orthopedic Trauma and Fracture Service at the University of Colorado Hospital (UCHealth), which is a certified Level One Trauma Center. This means that he and his team treat the most severe orthopedic trauma cases in the surrounding states and can provide options when other hospitals have reached their care limitations. UCHealth has been named the number 1 hospital in Colorado by US News and World Report for 12 years in a row. Simple and complex fractures, fracture nonunions, and fracture malunions are all examples of severe orthopedic traumatic injuries.
Deformity Correction
