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. 2020 Oct 27;92(1):120–127. doi: 10.1080/17453674.2020.1835321

Table 5.

Complications categorized into 8 main groups (soft tissue, joint, vascular, bone, neurological, infection, device-related, others) and 33 subgroups

  Severity grade and origin of complications
Group I II IIIA IIIB Sum
Soft tissue          
 Skin 2 1     3
 Muscles         0
 Tendons         0
 Pain 5       5
 Others 2 1   2 (CS) 5
Sum of soft tissue         13
Soft tissue complications in % of segments     1    
Joint          
 Pain 1       1
 Contracture 19 24 5 5 53
 Subluxation       6 6
 Dislocation       1 1
 Others         0
Sum of joint         61
Joint complications % of segment:       6  
Vascular          
 Vascular damage       1 1
 Deep vein thrombosis       4 4
 Hemorrhage/hematoma 2       2
 Others 2     1 (AV) 3
Sum of vascular         10
Vascular complications in % of segments:       1  
Bone          
 Premature consolidation   15 4   19
 Delayed healing 16 27 2 1 46
 Secondary malalignment   1   2 3
 Fracture   6 1 1 8
 Others 1 1     2
Sum of bone         78
Bone complications in % of segments:       8  
Neurology          
 Paresthesia 2 1 2   5
 Paralysis         0
 Others 3       3
Sum of neurology         8
Neurology complication in % of segments:       0.8  
Infection          
 Superficial soft tissue 2 1     3
 Deep soft tissue   1     1
 Osteomyelitis     3 1 4
 Others         0
Sum of infection         8
Infection complications in % of segments:       0.8  
Device-related          
 Distraction mechanism 16 20 9   45
 Mechanical strength 25 14 3 2 44
 Attachment failure 8 24 1   33
 Others         0
Sum of device-related         122
Device-related complications in % of segments:     12    
Others          
 Patient     6   6
 Surgical   3 7 1 11
 Others     1   1
Sum of others         18
Others, complications in % of segments       1.8  

CS: compartment syndrome;

AV: arteriovenous fistula of the posterior tibial artery decompensated during tibial lengthening and an embolization procedure had to be performed. 14 complications could not be categorized due to missing descriptions.

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