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[KrP1]

Hello. I wnat to know your opinion about external femur. What is the best device to do it. How many cm lengthen and if you think it is safe. I want to know about persons that have do it too. THanks

[JP]

External femur is burdensome and a rigors physical therapy is necessary because of knee stiffness and you should lengthen 5cm if you want to get back to normal.

[KrP1]

5 cm for my in femur is ok. If i do another 5 in tibia that will be very good. But what doctors do external femurs cheap and safely?

[KiloKAHN]

Avoid externals if you ever want to have full knee ROM again.


Complications of Femoral Lengthening using the Ilizarov Fixator: http://ispub.com/IJOS/15/1/10658

"To report and evaluate the complications of femoral lengthening using the Ilizarov fixator.Method: Retrospective study of 10 patients who underwent femoral lengthening between 2001 and 2008...Of 10 patients, seven (70%) were females. Average age was 20 years (range 11 – 48 years). Equal limb lengths were achieved in six patients. Three patients had significant residual leg length discrepancies. Lengthening was discontinued in two patients due to marked restriction in knee flexion. In the other patient lengthening was discontinued due to subluxation of the hip. One patient developed mild subluxation of the knee. One patient sustained a fracture following fixator removal. The fracture healed with a mild leg length discrepancy. All patients developed knee stiffness following lengthening. Nine patients achieved full knee extension and flexion greater than 90˚.Conclusion: Generally, the number of complications and failures of lengthening increase in proportion to the length of distraction and the severity of the preoperative problems."

...

"Most complications of femoral lengthening develope during the distraction phase. Muscle contracture and joint stiffness are significant problems during femoral lengthening and they have proved to be the most difficult to treat. Despite active range of motion exercises and passive and dynamic stretching, all 10 patients developed knee stiffness."

...

"Following removal of the fixator, all patients had some degree of knee stiffness. Many months of intensive physical therapy was required to restore flexion greater than 90˚. One patient (Case 3) had pre-operative knee stiffness and this was not improved with physical therapy. Not all patients had the same degree of compliance with physical therapy."

[Taller]

I do believe that I've read of Dr. Xia and even Dr. Sarin patients who have fully recovered after lengthening their femurs externally. However, there are no guarantees that you'll make a full recovery. It's a gamble, and, with external femurs, the stakes are very very high.

[Sweden]

You will never recover fully from external femurs.

[Medium Drink Of Water]

5cm with monorail seems to be the best way to do it.  In Beijing they prefer the Ilizarov frame in general, but don't use it on femur patients.