Hello,
Below I've found information about LON and I’m afraid that this sounds like no good will come out of it.
Have any of you done LON femurs? What are your thoughts about this?
http://www.ilizarovjordan.com/ F.A.Q"Why you use only external fixators for limb lengthening? What you think about combination approach for lengthening and lengthening over nail technique?" "The main reasons to refuse this combination are:
Combination of intramedullary nail insertion and external fixation is an easy approach for the doctor, but not for the patient at all……WHY?
Because the Ilizarov philosophy is based on "maximum stability with minimum vessels and other tissue damage"; SO the bone have three components for healing and revascularization "restoring of bone blood supply mechanisms" :
Pereosteoal Factor (P.F) – this is a very important factor – it's located around the bone "pereosteom and muscles",
Osteoal Factor (O.F.)– this is the bone it's self healing factor,
Endosteoal Factor (E.F) - the internal "inside the bone" healing factor SO when the doctor decided to do a combination of external and internal fixation, he well destroys all these factors! It's means that Ilizarov concept not used at all! WHY? Because the intramedullary nail well destroyed the internal small vessels of the bone, and for insertion of the nail the surgeon have to do complete osteotomy by saw, and cannot do closed corticotomy, it's leads to bone burn, and destroying the osteal and extra osteal healing mechanisms, of course technically "lengthening over nail" easier for doctor, espicialy during lengthening period, but it's not better for patient health!"
"Here, we must remember about very high infection rate "the external wires and pins are connected to the internal bone canal" so, if we well met some problems "infection" in wires or pins tracts, we can easy manage them, if we use external fixation only, BUT, if the internal fixator well be infected……. It's a Very big problem!
Now some words about our technique for bone cut: we use only semi closed corticotomy for bone cut- this technique is difficult one for surgeon, needs a well training, but it's very important for the patient, because we use 0.5 cm. incision and we cut the bone very gently "low kinetic technique". This technique was suggested by Professor Ilizarov him self for maximum saving of all vessels and tissue around and inside the bone for getting best results."