General · 17 February 2026
Alfie gains 3cm after first UK leg surgery
Alfie Phillips, nine, underwent a pioneering operation at Alder Hey Children's Hospital to correct a rare limb difference. Doctors attached a motorised telescopic nail to the outside of his thigh bone, using magnets to gradually extend the leg. This technique allowed the Northampton schoolboy to grow his shorter limb by 3cm without damaging sensitive growth plates. He has now returned to playing basketball following the procedure performed in March 2025.
Reported by BBC · How we write briefs