{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,29]],"date-time":"2026-10-29T08:27:46Z","timestamp":1793262466790,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"Springer Science and Business Media LLC","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,16]],"date-time":"2026-03-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1773619200000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,16]],"date-time":"2026-03-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1773619200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100004503","name":"Benha University","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100004503","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["link.springer.com"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["International Orthopaedics (SICOT)"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,4]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Purpose<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>To systematically review the efficacy, safety, and outcomes of limb lengthening procedures in patients with achondroplasia, including effects on quality of life.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic review and meta-analysis was performed. Eligible studies included patients with achondroplasia who underwent limb lengthening of the upper and\/or lower extremities. Data were extracted on length gain, external fixator index, fixation duration, complications, and quality of life. Pooled means and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using single-arm meta-analysis.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Fourteen studies including 1149 patients were analyzed. The mean femoral gain was 8.85\u00a0cm (95% CI: 7.42\u201310.28), tibial gain 7.36\u00a0cm (95% CI: 6.21\u20138.52), and humeral gain 8.38\u00a0cm (95% CI: 7.01\u20139.74). The mean fixator index was 37.1\u00a0days\/cm (95% CI: 32.37\u201341.82), with a mean fixation duration of 7.71\u00a0months (95% CI: 5.98\u20139.63). The overall complication rate was 56.1% (95% CI: 26.9\u201385.2). Importantly, the pooled quality of life score measured by the Paediatric Quality of Life Inventory was 75.69 (95% CI: 65.14\u201386.23), indicating moderate improvement despite high treatment burden.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Limb lengthening in achondroplasia achieves significant stature and proportional gains but requires prolonged treatment and carries a high complication risk. Nevertheless, improvements in functional ability and quality of life are evident, particularly when multi-limb lengthening is performed. Future studies should standardize outcome reporting, assess long-term QoL trajectories, and evaluate newer technologies such as intramedullary nails combined with multidisciplinary support.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1007\/s00264-025-06720-z","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,16]],"date-time":"2026-03-16T10:24:08Z","timestamp":1773656648000},"page":"747-756","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Efficacy and safety of limb lengthening in achondroplasia: A systematic review and meta-analysis"],"prefix":"10.1007","volume":"50","author":[{"given":"Gamal","family":"Hosny","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ahmed","family":"AbdElnaser","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Abdelrahman","family":"Elashhab","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hossam","family":"Saad","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,16]]},"reference":[{"issue":"9582","key":"6720_CR1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"162","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(07)61090-3","volume":"370","author":"WA Horton","year":"2007","unstructured":"Horton WA, Hall JG, Hecht JT (2007) Achondroplasia. 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