Table 8.

Review of studies using the LON technique

Study	Type of study	Number of limbs	Average followup	Mean amount lengthened	Treatment duration	Complications	Conclusions
Chaudhary [3]	Retrospective	27 (five femora, 22 tibiae)	3 months to 12 years	4.6 cm	Mean external fixation index 17.8 days/cm	Three required additional surgery; overall complication rate = eight of 27	LON reduces external fixation time and incidence of complications
Song et al. [27]	Retrospective	22	3.2 years	5.0 cm	Mean external fixation index 24 days/cm	Osteomyelitis (n = 3); joint complications including patella/postknee subluxation (n = 4); collapse of lengthened segment (n = 1)	LON can shorten the duration of external fixation but care is required to prevent major complications
Kocaoglu et al. [13]	Retrospective	42 (35 femora, seven tibiae)	44 months	6.3 cm	Mean lengthening index 31.2 days/cm; mean external fixation index 18.7 days/cm	16 required additional surgery	LON increases patient comfort and reduces the external fixation period
Simpson et al. [25]	Retrospective	20 (18 femora, two tibiae)	12–57 months	4.7 cm	Mean external fixation index 20 days/cm	Deep infection (n = 3), premature consolidation (n = 2), one patient required lengthening of the Achilles tendon	LON reduces external fixation time and incidence of complications
Paley et al. [19]	Retrospective	32	2.8 years	5.8 cm	Mean external fixation index 0.7 months/cm	1.4% (one nail and one proximal locking screw failed); more significant intraoperative blood loss in the LON group	LON reduced the duration of external fixation by almost ½; advantages include protection against refracture during distraction

LON = lengthening over a nail.