Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool has successfully performed pioneering leg-lengthening surgery on a 9-year-old boy, Alfie Phillips, who has a rare condition called fibular hemimelia.
According to the BBC, Alfie, from Northampton, underwent the procedure in March 2025, which involved implanting a lengthening nail on the surface of his right thigh bone. This new method, developed in the US, allowed for a less painful and better experience overall.
Nick Peterson, a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Alder Hey, stated that the procedure was not previously available for younger children due to the risk of damaging the growth plates. Alfie's mother, Laura Ducker, said her son healed really well and was keen to go back to school fairly quickly.
Treatment and Recovery
The operation involved placing a lengthening nail, known as a motorised telescopic nail, on the surface of Alfie's femur. A magnetic device was then used to slowly pull the two bone ends apart, allowing the body to naturally fill the gap with new bone tissue.
Alfie underwent weekly physiotherapy sessions and reviews by doctors and specialist nurses until the lengthening process had finished, which took around six weeks. He continued to have physio until the nail was removed from his leg, around three to four months after the operation.
Outcome and Future Prospects
Specialists at Alder Hey measured the difference at 4cm, and projected it would increase to 6cm by the time Alfie was fully grown at around 16. Peterson described Alfie's recovery as "remarkable" and said his experience for his age has been "vastly superior to what it would have been".
The hospital has since performed the technique on three other children with fibular hemimelia, and other specialist centres around the country are preparing to do the same. Peterson said Alfie's case "paves the way for this technique to replace the old fashioned way of doing things".
