Distraction osteogenesis: a review on management of acquired and congenital deformities

Distraction osteogenesis which is also called as callus distraction orcallotasis is used to restore the skeletal deformities and in reconstructive surgery. Most commonly, it is carried out in the department of oral maxillofacial surgery, orthopaedics and paediatric surgery. It is a very favourable and effective method for stable long-term effects. The use of distraction osteogenesis is found to have increased multiple folds in the last decade. And this is attributed to its advantages like little relapse, bigger movements range, generation of soft tissue, less likelihood of nerve injury, less likelihood of idiopathic condylar resorption. Some important applications of distraction osteogenesis are as an alternative to conventional surgery for maxillary and mandibular lengthening and reconstruction of alveolar segmental defects after tumour resection before implant installation.1 The distracter devices are found to transfer forces and they act as a rigid support for bone consolidation to occur. In this article, an attempt has been made to review the evolution of distraction osteogenesis over eons.