About Save a Limb Fund

One in 125 children is born with a limb deficiency. Many of these children undergo amputation because they do not have the resources to travel to a specialist and pay for limb lengthening surgery.

The Save a Limb Fund was established in 2001 to provide funding for limb lengthening surgery to children from around the world who suffer from congenital or developmental limb deformities. The Save a Limb Fund assists patients and their families with the cost of surgery as well as the other costs associated with treatment, such as travel.

The goal is to build this Fund into an endowment that will allow The International Center for Limb Lengthening (ICLL) to provide assistance on a case by case basis. Treatment at the ICLL allows more than 500 children each year to have nearly normal function of their limbs.

The International Center for Limb Lengthening

The International Center for Limb Lenghthening focuses on the care of pediatric and adult patients with limb deformities, limb length discrepancies, skeletal abnormalities, bone defects, and bone infections. The ICLL is part of the Rubin Institute for Advanced Orthopedics, which is located on the Sinai Hospital of Baltimore campus. The ICLL is co-directed by Dror Paley, MD, and John E. Herzenberg, MD.

Each year, the surgeons at the ICLL treat more than 2,000 patients who experience congenital, developmental, or posttraumatic limb deformities. Patients come from more than 50 countries (six continents) around the world to receive treatment at the Center.

Some children with severe deformities who receive treatment elsewhere are told that amputation is the best medical option to treat the condition. In many such cases, surgeons at the ICLL are able to perform reconstructive surgery to correct the deformity and preserve the limb.

Leaders in Pediatric Orthopedics

Surgeons at the International Center for Limb Lengthening specialize in treating children with severe deformities. The advanced techniques used at the Center are internationally recognized, and surgeons from all over the world refer their toughest cases to the ICLL team.

The comprehensive treatment that is offered extends far beyond the expertise of the surgeons; support is provided to the child and the family before, during, and after treatment. A child psychologist offers group and family therapy for children undergoing limb lengthening and other orthopedic treatments. The physical therapists are highly trained and help the child perform exercises that are critical to successful treatment.

The facilities at the ICLL also enable children to receive the best in pediatric orthopedic care. The Rubin Institute for Advanced Orthopedics is home to the only gait analysis laboratory in the country that specializes in therapy treatment strategies for patients with orthopedic or neuromuscular conditions. The rehabilitation facilities include a full array of equipment and a therapy pool. The ICLL also has access to all the medical services that Sinai Hospital offers, including pain management, intensive care, and emergency care.