Doctors from the Department of Orthopedics, National Children's Hospital successfully performed a 180-degree leg rotation surgery (Rotationplasty), creating a new functional knee joint for a 5-year-old boy with severe congenital femur defect.
According to the patient's family, right from the 5th month of pregnancy, the baby was found to have a thigh bone abnormality. After birth, the baby also suffered from congenital hip dislocation and had surgery when he was 17 months old. Although the movement function of the hip joint has improved after intervention, deformities in the thigh bone and knee joint still exist, seriously affecting the child's movement ability.
Dr. Hoang Hai Duc - Head of Orthopedics Department, National Children's Hospital - said: Congenital femur malformation is a rare disease, with an estimated rate of only 1/52,000 to 1/200,000 children living. The cause is often related to early embryonic development disorders, which may be accompanied by abnormalities in bone structure, joints and muscle system around the thighs - knees area. Children with severe CFD often face limb deformities, limb length differences and limited movement, thereby greatly affecting motor function and long-term quality of life.
At the time of admission, the left femur of the patient only reached nearly half of its length compared to the healthy side. The knee joints are in a rigid folded position, unable to be fully extended. When placing the two legs parallel, the left foot is only equal to the middle of the right calf, causing a serious difference in the length of the limbs and significantly affecting daily life.
After a thorough professional consultation process at the end of 2025, doctors in the Department of Orthopedics agreed to prescribe Rotationplasty surgery for the patient. This is a special lower limb regeneration technique, in which the diseased thigh and knee joints are removed, the calf is rotated 180 degrees so that the ankle joints play the function of the knee joints. When combined with prosthetics, the ankle joints can perform physiological flexion and extension movements, helping children walk naturally and more effectively than traditional thigh amputation methods.
The surgery lasted about 3.5 hours, performed safely thanks to close coordination between specialties. After surgery, the patient was actively cared for post-operatively, especially focusing on monitoring peripheral circulation, pain control, infection prevention and early exercise guidance. At the same time, the nurse team also paid attention to psychological support, helping children and families feel secure throughout the treatment process.
About 4 weeks after surgery, the test results showed that the bones were well-tightened, the incision was dry, not infected, and the rear limb had a stable circulation. Fortunately, the child performed active flexion and flexion movements. According to doctors, during development, the child's bones will continue to grow, contributing to helping the length of the limb gradually become more balanced.
According to the treatment plan, in the coming time, the patient will continue to be monitored for a long time and participate in a specialized rehabilitation program. When reaching the appropriate age, the child will be evaluated and fitted with a functional prosthetic leg, maximizing the advantages of Rotationplasty surgery to achieve independent and stable walking ability.
