Ilizarov and his apparatus for healing of bone defects

Ilizarov is a name most doctors, and especially those who practice orthopedics are well aware of. However, his journey from obscurity to global fame, is not much known. He invented, refined, and successfully used an apparatus to heal difficult bone defects, that bears his name. Ilizarov, used his apparatus to keep two ends of the bone slightly apart, to allow for new bone tissue to form in between. This was a novel discovery, that has since changed the science of bone healing.

Ilizarov’s childhood and his journey to become a doctor, was punctuated by a few relocations. In 1928, his family moved from Poland to Soviet Russia. By the time he entered medical school in Crimea, Russia second world war had started. In 1941, this medical school was relocated to Kazakhstan. On completion of his initial medical education in 1944, he was posted to Kurgan in Siberia. This was a norm in Russia (then USSR), where doctors were posted to areas of shortage and need. It is here in Kurgan, which is about 1700 kilometers south-east of Moscow, Ilizarov lived, worked and made his discoveries.

Many soldiers from the second world war front were returning back with limb injuries, and poorly managed fractures. In 1946 Ilizarov started working on instruments that could help these patients. He essentially self-taught himself to develop an instrument that could keep pieces of bone in place. By 1952 he had developed and patented his prototype, which was a series of circular rings, connected together by rods. Thin radial wires from this instrument would keep the bone pieces together.

Around 1954, Ilizarov made another chance discovery. If bone fragments were kept in traction and a few millimeters apart, new bone started growing in the intervening space. This finding led to the concept of distraction osteogenesis. It was a revolutionary concept, as till then general belief was to keep the ends of the bone tightly compressed, so as to join them better.

Discovery of this concept, and novel way to treat bone defects and injuries remained hidden from rest of the world, for next 30 years. While Ilizarov himself continued his work in remote Siberia, his fame spread with word of mouth. In 1968, he successfully treated Valery Brumel, a Soviet gold-medalist Olympic champion high jumper. This was a turning point, and made him famous within Soviet Union. In 1980, first patient from outside the country (Carlo Mauri a famous mountaineer from Italy) benefited from his therapy. Traditional methods had failed both Brumei, Mauri and many others.

Ilizarov’s technique could grow bone, where none existed. In next ten years his fame became global. World eventually accepted his technique by 1990. Many pioneer surgeons from Italy, Canada, and later US traveled all the way to Siberia to learn the technique it better.

Ilizarov became a well known name. He passed away in Siberia in 1992. By this time, his technique, apparatus, and methods had been adopted globally. He has more than 200 patents, and numerous publications in his name. His legacy lives on, especially in the world of bone healing.