Expandable Growing Implants for Children

Bone cancer in growing children presents a unique orthopaedic challenge: if a tumor near the growth plate is resected, the treated leg will fail to keep pace with the opposite leg, leading to severe skeletal asymmetry.

The Solution: Magnetically Expandable Prostheses

Rather than repeating major surgeries to lengthen a prosthetic joint manually, we utilize non-invasive expandable joint implants. These prostheses contain an internal micro-gear and magnet.

How Non-Invasive Lengthening Works:

• The child sits comfortably in our outpatient clinic.
• An external electromagnetic controller is placed over the leg.
• The controller rotates the internal magnet, lengthening the implant by a few millimeters in under 15 minutes.
• The process is entirely painless and requires zero anesthesia, hospital admission, or skin incisions.

Staging and Care Outcomes

With this bio-engineered approach, children are able to continue growing normally and return to regular school activities with a symmetric limb length and full weight-bearing capabilities.