An orthopaedic procedure in which the length of a limb, usually a leg, is increased. The bone is surgically divided and slowly stretched in a special frame. The operation is usually done on people with unequal leg lengths as a result of injury or from PARALYSIS in childhood. Exceptionally, it may be done in both legs to help people of short stature.
an orthopaedic procedure for increasing the length of a limb (usually the leg). An *external fixator is attached to the bone. This can be a circular frame surrounding the bone, which was invented by the Russian surgeon Ilizarov, or a bar down one side of the limb. The bone is divided, and the gap produced is slowly widened by moving the two ends of the frame apart; if a bar fixator is used, its body has a screw thread that is turned to increase the distance between the two ends. New bone is produced in the widening gap as the bone is stretched (see callotasis). Limb lengthening is undertaken when there is inequality in the length of the legs; for example, following trauma or resulting from paralysis in childhood. Both legs can be lengthened to increase the height of a person of excessively short stature.
A group of injuries resulting from overuse of a part of the limb. One example is TENNIS ELBOW (epicondylitis) caused by in?ammation of the tendon attaching the extensor muscles of the forearm to the humerus because of overuse of the muscles. Overuse of the shoulder muscles may cause in?ammation and pain around the joint. Perhaps the best-known example is repetitive strain injury (RSI) affecting keyboard workers and musicians: the result is pain in and weakness of the wrists and ?ngers. This has affected thousands of people and been the subject of litigation by employees against their employers. Working practices have been improved and the complaint is now being recognised at an early stage. Treatment includes PHYSIOTHERAPY, but some sufferers have been obliged to give up their work.... upper limb disorders
a rare neurological condition in which upper limb movements occur without an individual’s awareness of or control over the actions. In extreme cases, a person will deliberately use their other arm to restrain the ‘alien limb’. It is caused by damage to connections between the cerebral hemispheres or the frontal or occipital brain areas and can occur following stroke or in dementia.... alien limb syndrome
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