Video Feedback-Supported Rehabilitation After Bilateral Femoral Lengthening

Summary

This randomized controlled study aims to investigate the effects of adding video feedback-supported gait training to a standard rehabilitation program in individuals undergoing cosmetic bilateral femoral lengthening surgery.

A total of 32 adults aged 18-45 years who undergo cosmetic bilateral femoral lengthening using the Lengthening Over Nail (LON) technique will be included. All surgical procedures will be performed at Private Esencan Hospital. Participants will be monitored at the hospital for the first 6 postoperative days, and the distraction phase will begin on postoperative day 7. After discharge, rehabilitation will continue at BNB Health Services and Consultancy Center.

Participants will be assigned to an intervention group or a control group using block randomization at a 1:1 ratio. Both groups will receive rehabilitation 5 days per week, with each session lasting 50 minutes. The control group will receive 50 minutes of conventional physiotherapy. The intervention group will receive 40 minutes of conventional physiotherapy and 10 minutes of video feedback-supported gait training.

Assessments will be performed before surgery (T0), when approximately 4 cm of lengthening has been achieved (T1), when approximately 8 cm of lengthening has been achieved (T2), and 2 weeks after removal of the external fixator (T3).

The primary outcome will be walking performance assessed using the 10-Meter Walk Test. Secondary outcomes will include lower-extremity function, kinesiophobia, body awareness, quadriceps muscle strength, and pressure pain threshold.

Conditions

• Bone Lengthening
• Gait Disorders

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Video Feedback-Supported Gait Training

Participants will be recorded while walking on a 10-meter walkway in the frontal and sagittal planes. They will review the recordings with the physiotherapist and receive standardized visual and verbal feedback regarding step width, step symmetry, trunk alignment, pelvic position, Trendelenburg sign, lower-extremity movements, foot contact, and gait rhythm. The intervention will be administered for 10 minutes per session, 5 days per week throughout the distraction phase.

OTHER

Conventional Physiotherapy

Conventional physiotherapy will include active and passive range-of-motion exercises, quadriceps and hamstring stretching, isometric strengthening exercises, gait training, and neuromuscular electrical stimulation. The experimental arm will receive 40 minutes and the active comparator arm will receive 50 minutes per session, 5 days per week throughout the distraction phase.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Istanbul Aydın University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Ioakim Ipseftel, PhD · Istanbul Aydın University

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

45 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-08-01

Primary Completion

2026-11-01

Completion

2026-11-25

Countries

• Turkey (Türkiye)

Study Locations