About The Bone Growth Foundation
 The Bone Growth Foundation began in 1991, when a doctor involved in straightening and lengthening children’s limbs realised that very little was being done to find better, less painful ways to help these children.
The Bone Growth Foundation’s work is already providing better, less painful treatments for children with crippling growth problems. But we still have a long way to go. Straightening and lengthening the limbs of children with crippling growth problems aims to help those children to grow up and live a normal life. But the process is very long and very painful – many would say ‘barbaric’.
The Bone Growth Foundation was established to provide infrastructure and support for new research into bone growth – research that aims to find better, less painful, treatments for the children affected by crippling growth problems.
The Foundation is a self-funded, not-for-profit organisation operating solely on donations, sponsorships and the proceeds of our own fundraising efforts.
Why We Exist
The Foundation has made it possible for children with crippling growth problems to undergo surgical treatment to have their limbs lengthened and straightened. This surgery was previously only available in Russia and Germany.
 As part of current treatment, an external fixator (metal frame) is placed around the child’s limb to support the affected bone. Pins are inserted through the child’s bone. These pins are regularly turned in order to brake the bone and encourage new bone to form in the gap, mending the break and lengthening the bone. This treatment takes an average of four-six months, with the bone being stretched by a millimetre each day.
While this treatment aims to enable these children to grow up straight and strong, and to lead a normal life, it is long, painful and traumatic for both the child and their family. Infection is common due to a foreign body (pin) being present in the body. Many have called the treatment ‘barbaric’.
Leading Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon, Dr Bruce Foster, founded the Foundation in 1991, when he realised that little research work was being carried out to help find alternative forms of treatment for these children.
With Dr Foster as Chairman, we began with one part-time fundraising/administrative officer and one scientist sharing laboratory space with other hospital researchers at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital (WCH) in Adelaide. We now have a staff of nine and our own research laboratory at the WCH.
How Many Children Do We Help?
There are probably more children with crippling growth problems than you’d think. Apart from birth abnormalities and diseases affecting the bones, growth problems can begin with a simple playground accident.
When a child breaks a bone, there is a one-in-six chance that the bone’s ‘growth plate’ (which is responsible for the longitudinal growth of that bone in children) may be damaged. Damage to the growth plate can cause a bone to stop or slow down its growth, or to grow at irregular angles.
As our research continues and our knowledge increases, the application of that knowledge will help children with crippling growth problems such as:
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bone growth arrest or angulations
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children with one limb longer than the other
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children suffering from scoliosis (10 percent of all girls are affected)
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dwarfism or bone dysplasias
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bone tumours and bone diseases
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children whose growth has been hindered as a result of chemotherapy treatment
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hip dislocation
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hand and foot problems such as club foot
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neuromuscular disorders, such as spina bifida
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birth injuries
Through our research, we estimate that we can help up to 15 percent of Australia’s children to grow up straight and strong.
In publishing and sharing our research with the international scientific and medical communities, we aim not only to bring the best possible treatments to Australian children but, ultimately, to help children with crippling growth problems all over the world.
We Are Already Making a Difference
In a first for Australia and for the Southern Hemisphere, we’ve recently trialled an innovative internal limb lengthening procedure. ‘Fitbone’ is a fully implantable distraction system, which gradually increases distance between two bone segments through a telescope-like device. The marrow is removed from the bone and the Fitbone inserted in its place. The device is operated via remote control.
Several patients have already benefited from the Fitbone, which has been less invasive, less painful, less prone to infection and scarring, easier for the children and their families to look after – and easier for the children to cope with, physically, emotionally and socially.
This is a big step forward, but we have a long way yet to go. You can be part of our success. You can help us to help children grow up straight and strong.
In life, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by a feeling of powerlessness. There are too many problems, too many worthy causes and it’s too hard to decide if and how to help.
But every small step we make contributes to a greater journey.
Take a step towards helping us to help children with crippling growth
problems.
Contact us on 08 8161 8055 and a member of the Bone Growth Foundation Board will discuss with you the possibilities of how you can help us on this journey.
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