• Alfie Phillips becomes first child to undergo successful leg-lengthening surgery
• New technique allowed him to add 3cm to his leg

Alfie Phillips, a nine-year-old boy, has become the first child in the UK to undergo an innovative surgery to lengthen his right leg, which had not developed normally due to a rare condition called fibular hemimelia, leaving it more than an inch shorter than his other leg.

Thanks to the new treatment at the hospital, Alfie gained 3cm in leg length and can now run and play basketball like any other child.

Before this surgery, leg-lengthening for children was not an option due to the risk of damaging the growth plate, and the only method available was fitting an external leg fixator.

The new technique, developed in the United States, involves placing a mechanical lengthening nail on the surface of the femur, gradually extended using a magnetic device three times a day, allowing new bone to grow and fill the gap at a rate of about 1mm per day.

Alfie underwent weekly physiotherapy sessions and close monitoring by doctors and specialist nurses for six weeks, continuing therapy until the nail was removed three to four months after the operation.

His mother, Laura Ducker, said, “He recovered excellently and adapted quickly. He was able to return to school and play as usual.”

Alfie added, “Now I can jump, play basketball and trampoline, and I’m taller than my friend, so I can tease him about that.”

Alfie may need additional leg-lengthening in the future, but doctors confirmed that this procedure was far better than any previous option, projecting a 6cm difference between his legs by the time he turns 16.

Alder Hey Hospital has since performed the same technique on three other children with the same condition, and other specialist centers across the UK are preparing to adopt it as a safe and effective alternative to traditional methods.