Benefits and risks

Information for the public

When NICE looked at the evidence, it decided that there is not enough evidence to be sure about how well this procedure works or how safe it is. The 8 studies that NICE looked at involved about 180 patients.

Some people reported having less pain and disability, several months or years after the procedure was done, but not everyone benefitted from the procedure.

The studies showed that the risks of joint distraction included:

infections around the pins, that were treated by antibiotics
numbness or pain around the ankle after the procedure, that did not completely go away in some people
pins breaking; some patients had the pin replaced but others chose to have the pin removed
1 patient had a deep vein thrombosis (blood clot in a vein) after the procedure, that needed further treatment.

If you want to know more about the studies, see the guidance. Ask your health professional to explain anything you don't understand.