ObjectiveTo analyze the clinical efficacy of Ilizarov bone transport and bone lengthening in the treatment of long bone infection and limb shortening, and fracture nonunion caused by infection. MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 13 patients with long bone infection, chronic osteomyelitis of the femur and tibia, and infectious bone nonunion, treated with infection focus removal, Ilizarov outer fixation, bone transport and bone lengthening between June 2011 and October 2013. Among the patients, 8 of them had chronic osteomyelitis of the femur and tibia, 4 had infectious bone nonunion, and one had chronic fibula osteomyelitis. ResultsAll the 13 patients had a first-stage healing of the sinus tract and junctions. Among the patients who did the bone transport by themselves after being discharged from hospital, two had nail infections (one was cured after debridement, and the other underwent amputation after re-infection after debridement). One had a re-fracture after the healing of the previous fracture, and was cured by intramedullary nailing. The length of bone transport in these 13 cases ranged from 5 to 13 cm, averaging 7.5 cm. After bone transport, 11 patients had equal length of the lower limbs, and the affected lower limb of the other two patients became shorter than before. No neural function damage occurred in all the patients. ConclusionIlizarov bone transport and lengthening technique is an effective way to treat infections and bone defect of long bone, and it can improve patients' quality of life greatly.