Table 1.
Comparison of demographic and lengthening variables between the two techniques
| Variables | Lengthening over nail (31 patients; 62 segments) | Lengthening and then nailing (89 patients; 178 segments) | p value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demographics | |||
| Age (years) | 23.5 ± 5.5 | 22.8 ± 5.3 | 0.701 |
| Sex (male:female) | 40:22 | 120:58 | 0.793 |
| Smoking history (yes:no) | 18:44 | 66:112 | 0.913 |
| BMI (kg/cm2) | 21.2 ± 2.0 | 22.2 ± 3.0 | 0.326 |
| Duration of followup (months) | 37.4 ± 12.9 | 41.7 ± 12.7 | 0.196 |
| Lengthening | |||
| Distraction rate (mm/day) | 0.82 ± 0.08 | 0.88 ± 0.09 | 0.091 |
| Final length gain (mm) | 64.5 ± 7.1 | 66.4 ± 5.7 | 0.322 |
| External fixator index (months/cm) | 0.52 ± 0.08 | 9.63 ± 0.08 | 0.025 |
Values are expressed with mean with a SD or as a ratio.