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[Carter]

This is interesting considering all the talks about whether it is possible to run normally after LL.  Will their condition improve after 2 years?

Sweden (7cm tibia LON, 14 month post op) - I still can't run like I used to. The longer tibias really feels as if they're too long when I try to run. The strides doesn't feel ok.  I've been thinking of doing my femurs to improve my strides(and get even more taller).   There is still no grace in my walking bc my shins are too long. At least it feels like that's the reason.

OBG (6cm internal femurs, 9 month post op)  - At this point, running is not even close to what it was before. The soft tissue probably needs 2 years to completely adapt. Fast, explosive, quick movements are not possible. I now play tennis like a 70 year old man. I wanna make quick movements but I can't. Very frustrating.   Jogging no problem. Probably even a marathon would be possible around 1,5 years after surgery if you don't lengthen much. But as I said, if you compete on a high level in some sport where explosive movements in your legs are necessary , you can forget about the level you once had if you do LL.

[Wannabegiant]

This is interesting considering all the talks about whether it is possible to run normally after LL.  Will their condition improve after 2 years?

Sweden (7cm tibia LON, 14 month post op) - I still can't run like I used to. The longer tibias really feels as if they're too long when I try to run. The strides doesn't feel ok.  I've been thinking of doing my femurs to improve my strides(and get even more taller).   There is still no grace in my walking bc my shins are too long. At least it feels like that's the reason.

OBG (6cm internal femurs, 9 month post op)  - At this point, running is not even close to what it was before. The soft tissue probably needs 2 years to completely adapt. Fast, explosive, quick movements are not possible. I now play tennis like a 70 year old man. I wanna make quick movements but I can't. Very frustrating.   Jogging no problem. Probably even a marathon would be possible around 1,5 years after surgery if you don't lengthen much. But as I said, if you compete on a high level in some sport where explosive movements in your legs are necessary , you can forget about the level you once had if you do LL.

Imo the only thing that should truly prevent a full recovery is if the femur-tibia ratio becomes too disproportional that it affects the strides, its biomechanics changes so you are forced to move differently this way. I think as long as you dont lengthen to much the ratio and the strides shouldnt be affected to such a degree that it noticably changes running and walking function.

Muscles and nerves should all recover and heal and grow bigger to adapt to the longer legs as far as i know as long as you dont go over the soft tissue limit for how much it can stretch. This is assuming the doctor is competent and didnt do any critical mistakes with the surgery.

[Sweden]

There is no explosivity in your calf muscles after lengthening them. They will get much bigger but will never work as before.

You should never go beyond 5cm.

The thing that is preventing me from trying to run for real is my feet. It hurts insanely on the sides and ankles if I try to run. Pain killers can take the pain away, but it'll come back the very next day.

[Carter]

Sweden, can you say if

1) is the loss of explosivity because of going beyond the elasticity limit of the soft tissue & muscles?   
 
2)  Do you agree with the theory that 15-20% of the bone length is more accurate guide for how much to lengthen than a fixed number of 5cm for everyone?

3)  Do you rate your running level now at one or two tier below previous ability, say 70-80%?   Do you believe it will improve 10 months later?

[onedayillgrow]

Hi.. amm i'm getting a little depressed reading Sweden's last few comments on this and other threads because i'm personally looking to gain 6 cm on my tibs and a further 6 cm on my femurs and him saying that going over 5 cm is a big mistake is very off putting, can somebody please explain why going over 5 cm is bad? and will it affect me if i do 6cm on my tibs and femurs?

Thank you in advance

[Medium Drink Of Water]

I can sprint as well as I ever could.  What's not as good is my agility and balance.  Having artificially stretched out legs is going to hurt your that, there's no getting around it.  Longer legs without way bigger muscles just won't move as well.

[Medium Drink Of Water]

Muscles and nerves should all recover and heal and grow bigger to adapt to the longer legs

This didn't happen for me.  No matter how much I exercise, I think my calves have reached their maximum size.

[jerry]

This didn't happen for me.  No matter how much I exercise, I think my calves have reached their maximum size.

That may support Dr Guichet theory of training and building up muscles before LL.  Everyone lose leg muscles during lengthening.

[ChrisIsaak]

When was OBG skiing - how many months post-op?

[Blackhawk]

I think it was 8 or 9 months post op.

[theuprising]

There needs to be more threads like this. Pretty obvious the more you lengthen the higher the risk becomes that you won't go back to normal.

From Dr Donghoon Lee info page:

4. What are the lengthening limits for your procedures?
There are no limits to bone lengthening itself, but in reality there are limits because of soft tissues. To minimize various complications resulting from limb lengthening, it is recommended that lengthening is performed under 20% of the original bone length. 15% will be even better.
Limb lengthening is a process that involves not only the bone but also the soft tissue surrounding the bone. Especially when muscle is lengthened, even after recovery, sports ability (especially when playing vigorous sports) might not return 100%. The more the bone is lengthened, the more probability sports ability will not fully recover.
According to Park’s report (Park HW et al, JBJS,2008 ), 25% of the people who lengthen the tibia(6cm in average) was found to have some difficulties in persuing vigorous activity.
If both Tibia and Femur are lengthened sequentially, the maximum to be 10cm in total. But, one more important thing is to consider body ratio. So, I recommend to decide the target considering the safety, recovery of sports activity and body ratio.

This is very similar to what Dr Birkholtz was saying as well.

Yet people will still encourage others to go beyond 7cm regardless of starting height.

[Carter]

OBG was skiing a few days prior the 9-months-post surgery mark (or: around 6 months into consolidation...).  Also OBG is currently 11 month post op, not 9 months as I wrote above.   

[ChrisIsaak]

I think it was 8 or 9 months post op.

OBG was skiing a few days prior the 9-months-post surgery mark (or: around 6 months into consolidation...).  Also OBG is currently 11 month post op, not 9 months as I wrote above.   

Thank you for the answers. It's quite a recovery then, to do such a vigorous activity so early.. I'm almost 5 months post-op and I can't picture myself skiing in 4 months. But recovery with internal femurs is actually very fast; you can feel the progress every week which also helps keep your mood high.

[Sweden]

What he did in the video wasn't much of a hard effort going down the hill on that snowboard.

Chris: in 4 months you can definitely go snowboarding like that.

Be careful so you won't fall.

[ChrisIsaak]

What he did in the video wasn't much of a hard effort going down the hill on that snowboard.

Chris: in 4 months you can definitely go snowboarding like that.

Be careful so you won't fall.

I'd be more than glad if I could bend my knees as soon as possible    I still can't kneel. It used to be difficult picking something up from the floor (I freqently keep dropping things), now it's getting easier gradually.

[ChrisIsaak]

The reason for not lengthening above 8 cm in femurs and 6,5 cm in tibiae should be about mechanics and soft tissue adaptation/general health & recovery, and not really about proportions. After doing LL, I realized that I wouldn't go to a doctor supporting to go over limits even if the patient wants to, simply because I couldn't trust him.

Who would even care about proportions when you can't be recovered 100% physically? There are people with short torsos and long arms, long torsos and short arms, thin people, muscular people, I'm sure there are people with natural proportions similar to Apo's, even if not many.

Post-LL, one realizes how health really matters and you truly understand what you've done to yourself.

[Sweden]

Post-LL, one realizes how health really matters and you truly understand what you've done to yourself.

This ^^

[Saavedra]

Sweden do you think you'd have had the same problems running etc. if you lengthened only 5cms?  I'm worried about even doing 5cm on my femurs now in case it messes up my gait and running ability.  Obviously I know 100% recovery is near impossible.

[Sweden]

Sweden do you think you'd have had the same problems running etc. if you lengthened only 5cms?  I'm worried about even doing 5cm on my femurs now in case it messes up my gait and running ability.  Obviously I know 100% recovery is near impossible.

Somehow I believe I would be able to run if I did only 5cm.
I was coming for 6cm but looked at everyone else and decided to do 7cm.

Femurs are something completely different from tibias when you consider bio mechanical function.

You could easily do 5-6cm in femurs and be able to run within a year if all goes well.
With tibias you place pins through your ankles which can ruin your tendons or make you have tight ankles. If you do external that is.

Just sitting in the couch writing this makes my right ankle ache a little 

[Medium Drink Of Water]

The pins only go through the bones, not through any muscles or tendons.

[programdude]

There are cases of people demonstrating running etc within mere months post op with large gains on femurs. Shyshy I believe, is the best example.