An orthopedic operation performed on legs in order to increase an individual’s height after closed growth plates is called limb lengthening surgery. This surgery can also be performed on arms. An external or internal fixators will be placed in between the bones to separate the bones into two and lengthened its gap. In this way, the space betwen the bone will be widened daily and new bone formation will takes place in the empty space created. This operation is derived from the the new bone-forming mechanism through the regeneration of its soft tissue in human’s body.
Unlike popular beliefs, bones removed from the body is not placed back into another body area during the operation. This procedure consists of natural process of supplying an external intervention for bone self-renewal. After the bone is cut through a surgical procedure, the limb lengthening sugery will be done. The fixators placed between the bones will be opened daily by 1 milimeter and the bone structure that develops in distance will provide its elongation.
The shin bone or thigh can be treated for an operation that targets up to 8cm extension. An extension should be applied to both bones if the targetted extension is more than 10cm.
Lengthening surgery is carried out on the bones only because muscles and soft tissues cling to the bones. Muscles and tissues will adjust themselves to the new bone accordingly as the process gradually develops over time. Physiotherapy support will be an effective help to this process and in this way easy adaptation will be provided and the process will be exceptionally efficient.
Short stature could be caused by various disorders with genetic origin or diseases that have been undergone during childhood. Main reasons for short stature can be as follows:
Generally the most common reason for limb lengthening surgery is dwarfism. However this operation could be performed for many other reasons apart from those mentioned previously.
Patients who suffer from shortness or dimensional difference in arm could opt for this treatment. With this treatment patients’ elongation desire can be achieved and shortness can be removed. For aesthetic purposes, patients who experience a very advance psyhological problems due to short stature could also opt for this operation.
Llizarov technique has been practiced for years in limb lengthening surgery. It is performed with external fixators attached to the leg. With tehcnology advancement, internal fixators placed inside patient’s body has replaced the external fixators. In llizarove technique, few scars will be visible due to external application and they are proportional to the extension. But, only a small incision scar will be visible in operation with internal fixators. Method performed internally is more aesthetically advantageous compared to the external method.
Lengthening operation takes between 1,5 and 2 hours. If the patients are in good condition, they can be discharged from the hospital after 2-3 days.
Limb lengthening surgery is carried out with general anesthesia or epidural anesthesia. It begins with cutting the bone that is to be subjected to elongation. Then the cut bones will be fixed with internal and external fixators. In the beginning, cut bones will be separated slowly with the device placed. Bone growth will be triggered by this detachment and the pins will be opened everyday at a certain rate after device’s insertion. This will provides daily elongation of 1mm. Body will produce tissue in order to complete the bones joining process.
Recovery process will vary with each individual. However, compared to adults, children will recover two times faster. In 3 months time the targeted elongation for a child can be achieved while it may take up to 6 months for an adult instead. In 6 months, and adult may grow 5cm height. With a success rate of more than 95%, this surgery is done in the absence of pain unless there is an existing condition.
Limb lengthening surgery is an orthopedic operation performed on legs in order to increase an individual’s height after closed growth plates.
Short stature could be caused by various disorders with genetic origin such as Achondroplasia (dwarfism). It could also be caused by diseases that have been experienced during childhood such as kidney diseases, nutritional disorders and hormonal disorders.
Everyone may benefit from limb lengthening surgery. For example, individuals who suffer from shortness or dimensional difference in arm. However individuals with dwarfism may benefit greatly from limb lengthening operation.
One of the famous technique used for limb lengthening surgery is Llizarov technique.
An external or internal fixators will be attached to the leg after the bone that is subjected to elongation has been cut in this procedure. These fixators will be opened daily by 1 mm and the bone growth will be triggered by this detachment.
This operation will normally take around 1.5 and 2 hours’ time.
Under normal circumstances, patients are required to be hospitalized for around 2-3 days after limb lengthening surgery for further monitoring.
Limb lengthening surgery normally calls for the usage of general anesthesia or epidural anesthesia.
Recovery process will differs with each individual. Adults may recover in 6 months’ time from the operation but children will be able to recover two times faster compared to adults.
Limb lengthening surgery is done in the absence of pain unless there’s an existing condition.
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