The surgical lengthening of a bone to correct discrepancy of limb-length often results in damage to the soft tissues such as muscle, and in some cases this damage appears to be permanent, leading to a reduced range of movement and muscle weakness. Usually, muscle fibre damage is followed by a process of regeneration, during which proteins are produced which may effectively be used as ³markers² indicating that such repair is occurring. These researchers aim to determine whether the presence of these markers can also be used as an indicator of successful adaptation to limb-lengthening i.e. with good patient outcome and, conversely, whether their absence is linked with poor outcome. Should this be the case, this test could then be used to monitor progress after corrective surgery and, if necessary, to adjust the limb lengthening procedure to maximise patient recovery.