A nine-year-old boy has made history in the UK after undergoing a groundbreaking leg-lengthening procedure.
Alfie Philips was born with fibular hemimelia, a rare condition that stopped his right leg from developing fully; it ended up more than an inch shorter than his left.
After receiving innovative treatment at Liverpool’s Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, his right leg has grown by three centimeters.
The boy from Northampton said he was actually looking forward to the surgery. Nearly a year later, he’s back to running around like any other kid and spending time playing sports such as basketball.
Fibular hemimelia is a rare condition that affects less than one in 40,000 births.
Doctors used a new technique that involves placing a lengthening nail inside the thighbone; magnets are then used to gradually extend the bone over time.
While similar nails have been used in adults before, they weren’t previously offered to children because specialists were concerned about possible damage to their growing bones.
Consultant orthopedic surgeon Nick Peterson explained that lengthening the bone from the inside is generally far less painful.
Before being referred to Alder Hey in 2024, Alfie’s only real option was an external fixator; a bulky frame worn outside the leg to help it grow longer.
Alfie had the surgery in March 2025 to have the lengthening nail put in his leg; he only spent a few days in the hospital before heading home.
The technique, which was developed in the U.S., involved placing a motorized telescopic nail along the surface of his thighbone, also called the femur.
To lengthen the leg, a magnetic device was used on his leg three times a day for a month. This gently pulled the two ends of the bone apart by about 1 millimeter each day, while Alfie’s body naturally filled the gap with new bone.
He also had weekly physiotherapy sessions, which lasted around six weeks in total.
Alfie kept attending these sessions until the nail was removed, roughly three to four months after the surgery.
His mother, Laura Ducker, said he healed really well and “handled everything magnificently,” and he was eager to get back to school. She added that you wouldn’t even know anything had happened if you just looked at him.
Alfie is very happy with the results and said he can now do things he couldn’t before, like skipping.
