Little Scots girl left with one leg 8cm shorter undergoes gruelling surgery to stretch limb
A brave young Scots girl who was left with one leg 8cm shorter than the other has undergone a series of "agonising" operations to lengthen her limb.
Now 13, Isla’s legs are growing apart again having gone through a growth spurt and will need further lengthening surgery - her her 11th operation. "As a parent, you wish you could wave a magic wand and take it all away, especially when she is facing it again, but at the same time you know it's what's best for her. Now she is older she is also a lot more aware of what is happening so that makes it tougher.
Top news stories today When growing up, Isla would get shoe raises to make up for the difference in length. But when she turned nine, doctors decided to fit a Llizarov brace as the difference in length between the legs reached 8cm. Annabelle continued: “Every day, I had to turn these pins to move the bones further apart, encouraging a ‘ghost bone’ to grow in between.