{
  "abstract": "Vascular injury during distraction osteogenesis is rare but potentially limb-threatening, most often involving the popliteal artery during femoral or tibial osteotomies. Conventional opinion advises delaying distraction post-repair to protect grafts, though evidence is limited. This report presents two such cases, their surgical repair, early distraction initiation, and outcomes, challenging the assumption that prolonged delay is always required. A 16-year-old girl with hypochondroplasia and a 13-year-old boy with post-traumatic limb length discrepancy sustained intraoperative popliteal artery injuries during femoral lengthening. Both underwent urgent autologous great saphenous vein graft repair. Distraction timing was based on graft stability, with close post-operative vascular and radiographic monitoring. Distraction began 9 days post-repair in Case 1 and 14 days post-repair in Case 2, starting at 0.5 mm/day with adjustments for regenerate quality and vascular status. Lengthening goals (6.0 cm and 5.7 cm) were achieved without further vascular compromise. At long-term follow-up (12 years for case 1 and 9.5 years for case 2), no long-term vascular sequelae were reported. Under careful multidisciplinary supervision and vigilant follow-up, distraction osteogenesis can be safely initiated shortly after arterial repair. This individualized approach allows for distraction without needing secondary surgery for re-osteotomy.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Orthopaedics, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark."
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 3,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Daniel B M Hansen"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Mindaugas Mikuzis"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Søren Kold"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/fsxb8z7znby8w.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.13107/jocr.2026.v16.i11.8450",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13741002",
  "id": "fsxb8z7znby8w",
  "issns": [
    "2250-0685",
    "2321-3817"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42997170",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2732|Bone fractures and treatments"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7225580285",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13741002?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13741002",
  "pmid": "42997170",
  "published": "2026-11-01",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/fsxb8z7znby8w.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-09T15:20:34Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42997170",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42997170"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2732|Bone fractures and treatments",
      "subfield": "surgery"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Immediate Limb Lengthening Following Vascular Repair of Iatrogenic Arterial Lesions - A Report of Two Cases.",
  "title_text": "Immediate Limb Lengthening Following Vascular Repair of Iatrogenic Arterial Lesions - A Report of Two Cases.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-09T15:20:34Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/fsxb8z7znby8w",
  "venue": "Journal of orthopaedic case reports",
  "versions": []
}