Limb reconstruction is primarily surgical care where arms and legs that are poorly shaped to allow pain free function have their shape corrected and/or have length added or removed to make activities like walking, running or self-care easier. This includes limb realignment and limb lengthening.

 

Limb reconstruction is a highly specialist area of surgical care and needs experience and deep understanding of limb development to give the best long-term results. It is usually relatively high-risk surgery although the risk profile varies between trauma care, congenital reconstruction for problems after birth and cosmetic reconstruction. If you have questions about the risks see the treatment section or make an appointment to discuss whether this is the right approach for you.

 

Limb reconstruction is not limited to bone correction. The soft tissues have a huge role to play. In some cases the limitation in function can be managed by purely soft tissue procedures either by your orthopaedic surgeon, or by a plastic surgeon. In cases of massive previous injury or failed surgery sometimes a combined approach is needed with your orthopaedic surgeon and a plastic surgeon to give you the best overall outcome.

 

The causes for limb problems are very varied and usually a discussion for each individual is helpful in understanding why things have become the way they are. Sometimes genetic testing can help determine the likelihood of passing things on to your children or grandchildren and we can help you arrange a discussion with a specialist in genetic testing.