Limb Lengthening Forum
Limb Lengthening Surgery => Limb Lengthening Discussions => Topic started by: patientprivacy on June 02, 2018, 12:40:15 AM
-
There's always a chance of getting chronic exertional compartment syndrome after lengthening, which basically makes walking up inclines or running cause a lot of pressure to build up in the calves and/or shins until it's impossible to continue exercise due to pressure pains. The way around it is fasciotomy, but those cause scars and make your calves bulge in the areas where the fasciotomy has been done. If that were to happen in your case, you may become self-conscious over the appearance of your legs even after getting rid of your problems with your height.
How often does ECS happen? Is there a way to minimize the chances of getting it?
-
My foot and ankle specialist said it's likely a combination of genetics (since plenty get it without undergoing CLL) and CLL making one susceptible to it after exercise because the stretched muscles have to work harder than before to move the longer bone segment, creating more compartment pressure. Can't say for certain though because the sample size of prior CLL patients who developed CECS and reported about it is way too small to have a study about it. You can't really test for it until you're at a point where you can run though, and most would be unwilling to do fasciotomy until you've gone through an extended leg exercise routine to see if symptoms subside without surgery.