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A groundbreaking surgical procedure to increase height has been successfully performed on a nine-year-old boy in the UK for the first time. Alfie Phillips, who suffers from fibular hemimelia—a rare condition where one leg does not develop properly—had one leg more than an inch shorter than the other. Specialists at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool carried out this innovative operation, enabling Alfie to gain 3cm in leg length.
Fibular hemimelia affects fewer than one in 40,000 births and has traditionally been difficult to treat, especially in younger children. The recent advancement utilized a lengthening nail implanted externally on Alfie’s thigh bone, known as the femur. This device is gradually extended using a magnetic mechanism, gently separating the bone ends at approximately 1mm per day. Over time, the body fills the gap with new bone tissue. Previously, lengthening nails were only used inside bones for adults due to concerns about harming growth plates in children.
Alfie underwent the surgery in March 2025 and stayed in hospital for less than a week. Following the operation, a magnetic tool was applied to his leg three times daily for about a month, encouraging gradual bone extension. He attended weekly check-ups and physiotherapy sessions throughout the process, which lasted around six weeks. Further physiotherapy was carried out until the removal of the nail a few months later. Alfie’s mother, Laura Ducker, praised his recovery, saying, “He healed really well… He coped magnificently. He was keen to go back to school fairly quickly.” She added, “He’s running around as normal… He is just incredible.”
Looking ahead, Alfie may require additional lengthening procedures on his shin bone, but medical experts believe his recovery experience has been significantly better than conventional methods. Specialists at Alder Hey estimate that the length difference between Alfie’s legs has grown to 4cm, with projections reaching 6cm by the time he is around 16 years old. Since Alfie’s case, the hospital has applied this technique to three other children with similar conditions, and other specialist centers across the country are preparing to adopt it. Consultant orthopaedic surgeon Nick Peterson noted, “Alfie’s case paves the way for this technique to replace that old fashioned way of doing things.
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