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[SirStretchAlot]

105 days post-surgery - Consolidation +14 days

So now that I am 2 weeks into consolidation, I thought I would provide a quick update.

Firstly the good news, I have made enormous progress in several areas. Since finishing lengthening, all the pain and general discomfort has slowly faded away. I no longer have any pain at all. The only thing that remains is slight discomfort in the legs if I sit for too long or walk long distances or when I am driving long distances but this too is improving. I have started a strength program with my PT which includes body squats, hydrotherapy and low-weight exercises that target the glutes, quads, hamstrings and hips. My legs feel 100 times stronger than they did during distraction. My duck ass is also slowly improving and with more glute strengthening, I should be able to eliminate it over the next month.

For the bad, my wide legs still persist and this is the one thing preventing me from walking normally. I went to see an orthopaedic surgeon to inquire about an ITB release and he said I have abduction to the extent that it can't be solved by PT and he can release it in 5 weeks time and it is covered by my insurance and essentially would resolve my wide legs instantly. I am strongly considering going this route because I have made great progress in all other areas yet the ITB is not something I can really work on since it cannot stretch. Betz is a great surgeon and performed the surgery perfectly, however the lack of an ITB release can cause issues and it should really be done in the original surgery. The good news is that I am covered by insurance and 5 weeks also gives me time to completely strengthen everything else before releasing the ITB.

All in all I am happy with my progress and happy that I did the surgery but slightly annoyed about the ITB but at least there is a solution that should get me walking normally again within the next 5-8 weeks.

Also, here are my x-rays right after lengthening finished (2 weeks ago). Callus is developing nicely, more so on the left as the right is a bit behind but Dr. Betz said the regenerate is looking very solid and healthy.

https://imgur.com/xevnaOM
https://imgur.com/lXuWvHu

Fantastic news. This is exactly what I'm going through. PT simply doesn't work nearly as magically on ITB as Betz says. It should've been a deal-breaker. What did he say when you consulted him on ITB release?

Thanks

[DonBones]

105 days post-surgery - Consolidation +14 days

So now that I am 2 weeks into consolidation, I thought I would provide a quick update.

Firstly the good news, I have made enormous progress in several areas. Since finishing lengthening, all the pain and general discomfort has slowly faded away. I no longer have any pain at all. The only thing that remains is slight discomfort in the legs if I sit for too long or walk long distances or when I am driving long distances but this too is improving. I have started a strength program with my PT which includes body squats, hydrotherapy and low-weight exercises that target the glutes, quads, hamstrings and hips. My legs feel 100 times stronger than they did during distraction. My duck ass is also slowly improving and with more glute strengthening, I should be able to eliminate it over the next month.

For the bad, my wide legs still persist and this is the one thing preventing me from walking normally. I went to see an orthopaedic surgeon to inquire about an ITB release and he said I have abduction to the extent that it can't be solved by PT and he can release it in 5 weeks time and it is covered by my insurance and essentially would resolve my wide legs instantly. I am strongly considering going this route because I have made great progress in all other areas yet the ITB is not something I can really work on since it cannot stretch. Betz is a great surgeon and performed the surgery perfectly, however the lack of an ITB release can cause issues and it should really be done in the original surgery. The good news is that I am covered by insurance and 5 weeks also gives me time to completely strengthen everything else before releasing the ITB.

All in all I am happy with my progress and happy that I did the surgery but slightly annoyed about the ITB but at least there is a solution that should get me walking normally again within the next 5-8 weeks.

Also, here are my x-rays right after lengthening finished (2 weeks ago). Callus is developing nicely, more so on the left as the right is a bit behind but Dr. Betz said the regenerate is looking very solid and healthy.

https://imgur.com/xevnaOM
https://imgur.com/lXuWvHu

Great news and good to hear you're stronger! Hope the ITB release will be smooth if it comes to it

[chasing_higher_dream]

The callus is looking amazing, RB 
That is some great progress you have made.

Btw, regarding wide legs, I have seen previous patients of Dr. Betz who have resolved wide legs with just rigorous training over months. It surely takes time, but it does resolve.
But if you are short on time, then it makes sense to have ITB release surgery.

Anyway, I am happy with how things have turned out for you. Within few months, you will be enjoying your new height to the fullest!

[DonBones]

The callus is looking amazing, RB 
That is some great progress you have made.

Btw, regarding wide legs, I have seen previous patients of Dr. Betz who have resolved wide legs with just rigorous training over months. It surely takes time, but it does resolve.
But if you are short on time, then it makes sense to have ITB release surgery.

Anyway, I am happy with how things have turned out for you. Within few months, you will be enjoying your new height to the fullest!

That's a valuable insight, thanks.

[SirStretchAlot]

The callus is looking amazing, RB 
That is some great progress you have made.

Btw, regarding wide legs, I have seen previous patients of Dr. Betz who have resolved wide legs with just rigorous training over months. It surely takes time, but it does resolve.
But if you are short on time, then it makes sense to have ITB release surgery.

Anyway, I am happy with how things have turned out for you. Within few months, you will be enjoying your new height to the fullest!

Hey Chasing, can you point me to the patient's diary? I am really interested to see his/her situation and techniques.

I think RB and dreamingcloud were both recently clinically diagnosed to not being able to recover their normal functions unless an ITB release was performed. This is definitely not them feeling bad about wide legs and looking for an easy way out.

Betz would first prescribe several months more of PT, and then proceed to ignore the patient. He has not replied to my first 6-week x-ray email for 6 days.

I believe Betz has good intentions in not wanting to release ITB, since too much release can lead to permanent problems. However, since the band is just a fibrious tissue, it cannot stretch. For some people, their tensor fasciae latae muscle simply cannot stretch for the full length of their lengthened femurs.

dremaingcloud (Feb 2021): http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=66226.msg188865#msg188865

[chasing_higher_dream]

Sorry, I do not have any link to the diary here.
But, I did met with a patient during my hospital stay, he had resolved his wide legs through months of PT.
Also, I have heard past patient experiences from Peter (physiotherapist), all the patients, even those who had done insane lengthening (around 10 cm), at first could not walk straight because of wide legs and duck ass post lengthening phase. But past 1-year mark post-surgery, they were completely fine and walking like normal people, but this required daily rigorous PT!

You never know, maybe I too would require IT-band release surgery, but before going this way, I am willing to put faith in Dr. Betz and Peter and dedicate myself to 1 year of rigorous PT. Until I try and experience on my own, I will not know what will work and what will not!

[SirStretchAlot]

Sorry, I do not have any link to the diary here.
But, I did met with a patient during my hospital stay, he had resolved his wide legs through months of PT.
Also, I have heard past patient experiences from Peter (physiotherapist), all the patients, even those who had done insane lengthening (around 10 cm), at first could not walk straight because of wide legs and duck ass post lengthening phase. But past 1-year mark post-surgery, they were completely fine and walking like normal people, but this required daily rigorous PT!

You never know, maybe I too would require IT-band release surgery, but before going this way, I am willing to put faith in Dr. Betz and Peter and dedicate myself to 1 year of rigorous PT. Until I try and experience on my own, I will not know what will work and what will not!

We have almost the same starting and desired height. I think it's a fantastic attitude to want to rely on PT through this, but 8 months of rigorous PT after 4 months of exhausting lengthening seems tough even if it does work...

My wide legs became apparent around 3cm and immobilizing around 4cm. How far have you lengthened, and do you see any sign of wide legs?

[RB]

That looks like genuinely great bone healing. I'm envious - whatever the hell you're doing, keep it up man!

Thanks man! I just tried to stand and walk with the crutches as much as possible so I guess that speeds growth up.

Fantastic news. This is exactly what I'm going through. PT simply doesn't work nearly as magically on ITB as Betz says. It should've been a deal-breaker. What did he say when you consulted him on ITB release?

Thanks

When I spoke about the possibility of an ITB release, Betz mentioned that PT alone is enough to resolve the wide legs and that a release is not required. While I have no doubt that PT would eventually resolve them, my ITB is extremely tight and I believe it would take many, many months for me to resolve them naturally and at this point I just want to be back to normal as quick as possible and cannot afford to have them for the better part of this year due to work and family/social reasons.

Great news and good to hear you're stronger! Hope the ITB release will be smooth if it comes to it

Thanks mate!

The callus is looking amazing, RB 
That is some great progress you have made.

Btw, regarding wide legs, I have seen previous patients of Dr. Betz who have resolved wide legs with just rigorous training over months. It surely takes time, but it does resolve.
But if you are short on time, then it makes sense to have ITB release surgery.

Anyway, I am happy with how things have turned out for you. Within few months, you will be enjoying your new height to the fullest!

Thanks man! Yes I agree that wide legs can most likely be resolved on their own but they are just not making the same progress as my muscles and is one of the only areas on my leg that remains tight so it makes sense for me to speed up my recovery and walking progress especially since insurance will cover the cost. I will however see how my progress goes over the next few weeks and evaluate.

Hey Chasing, can you point me to the patient's diary? I am really interested to see his/her situation and techniques.

I think RB and dreamingcloud were both recently clinically diagnosed to not being able to recover their normal functions unless an ITB release was performed. This is definitely not them feeling bad about wide legs and looking for an easy way out.

Betz would first prescribe several months more of PT, and then proceed to ignore the patient. He has not replied to my first 6-week x-ray email for 6 days.

I believe Betz has good intentions in not wanting to release ITB, since too much release can lead to permanent problems. However, since the band is just a fibrious tissue, it cannot stretch. For some people, their tensor fasciae latae muscle simply cannot stretch for the full length of their lengthened femurs.

dremaingcloud (Feb 2021): http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=66226.msg188865#msg188865

Yeah basically the surgeon I spoke with said that in my case the ITB is really the only thing causing an issue with my walk and that the two options are to not do it and maybe the wide legs would resolve themselves after a further 6 months to 1 year of adapting to training and walking or I could do the release in 5 weeks time and restore normal function instantly and after a 2 week recovery from the release surgery. After being out of action for nearly 4 months now, I really want to get back to normal and not have to wait that long to even practice my normal gait. I definitely agree that Betz had good intentions but unfortunately for some it can't be resolved the same way as building strength in the quads and glutes for example can be. 

But regardless I will evaluate over these next few weeks and keep you guys updated!

[chasing_higher_dream]

We have almost the same starting and desired height. I think it's a fantastic attitude to want to rely on PT through this, but 8 months of rigorous PT after 4 months of exhausting lengthening seems tough even if it does work...

My wide legs became apparent around 3cm and immobilizing around 4cm. How far have you lengthened, and do you see any sign of wide legs?

Yes, this is tough indeed.
Right now, I am around 2.1 cm. I can feel tightness in my IT bands, especially my right one. It's becoming harder to bring my legs together. But while walking I do not have wide legs yet (maybe a little bit). I will update my diary on the situation once I reach the 3cm and the 4 cm mark.
Here is the post where I shared a video of my walking gait: http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=66215.msg197160#msg197160

Are your wide legs still getting worse?

[chasing_higher_dream]

Thanks man! I just tried to stand and walk with the crutches as much as possible so I guess that speeds growth up.

When I spoke about the possibility of an ITB release, Betz mentioned that PT alone is enough to resolve the wide legs and that a release is not required. While I have no doubt that PT would eventually resolve them, my ITB is extremely tight and I believe it would take many, many months for me to resolve them naturally and at this point I just want to be back to normal as quick as possible and cannot afford to have them for the better part of this year due to work and family/social reasons.

Thanks mate!

Thanks man! Yes I agree that wide legs can most likely be resolved on their own but they are just not making the same progress as my muscles and is one of the only areas on my leg that remains tight so it makes sense for me to speed up my recovery and walking progress especially since insurance will cover the cost. I will however see how my progress goes over the next few weeks and evaluate.

Yeah basically the surgeon I spoke with said that in my case the ITB is really the only thing causing an issue with my walk and that the two options are to not do it and maybe the wide legs would resolve themselves after a further 6 months to 1 year of adapting to training and walking or I could do the release in 5 weeks time and restore normal function instantly and after a 2 week recovery from the release surgery. After being out of action for nearly 4 months now, I really want to get back to normal and not have to wait that long to even practice my normal gait. I definitely agree that Betz had good intentions but unfortunately for some it can't be resolved the same way as building strength in the quads and glutes for example can be. 

But regardless I will evaluate over these next few weeks and keep you guys updated!

I can totally understand why you would want a release surgery.
Spending months and months in suffering and physiotherapy is no joke!
This really takes a toll on your psychological state.

Irrespective of the path you take, I wish you luck and great success 

[SirStretchAlot]

Yes, this is tough indeed.
Right now, I am around 2.1 cm. I can feel tightness in my IT bands, especially my right one. It's becoming harder to bring my legs together. But while walking I do not have wide legs yet (maybe a little bit). I will update my diary on the situation once I reach the 3cm and the 4 cm mark.
Here is the post where I shared a video of my walking gait: http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=66215.msg197160#msg197160

Are your wide legs still getting worse?

Yeah, I can see one of your legs is trying to swing inwards. It's similar to my state when I was 1.5cm.

I'm around 4.5cm now and my legs are 55cm wide. I predict they will be 60cm by the time I reach 5cm. The widening will happen gradually, but appear suddenly, then worsen every week.

Now you can hide the wide legs by bending your knees and leaning forward / hips back. This is called duck ass. It hides your wide legs, but when you stand straight, your legs will widen again.

It's difficult to understand why RB and I are considering doing it unless you go through wide legs yourself. It's ugly, immobolizing, and makes walking exhausting (which spills over to everything else).

The problem is stretching/therapy is not effective on ITB as they are with hamstring/quads/hip flexors. Only your TFL will stretch, and it's a tiny muscle.

People say surgery is the hard part. If anything, it was the happiest days for me. Wide legs and muscle weakness during lengthening is ruining my life, and I'm only half way to my goal...

[RB]

Hey guys,

So quick update - I will be doing ITB release tomorrow instead as the surgeon can get me in earlier so I'm happy about that. A bit nervous undergoing another surgery but it's quite minor and should improve function so it's something that needs to be done.

In terms of my other muscles, they feel so much better each and every day and I barely have any tightness when I wake up anymore. I still have some tightness if I walk long distances but I continue to experience no pain with the majority of the tightness coming from the ITB which should be solved tomorrow. Flexibility is also returning quite quickly. It's quite amazing how the body recovers once you are no longer lengthening your legs on a daily basis.

I'll give you guys an update after my surgery! Feel free to ask any questions.

[inchesmatter]

Tell me about it. I can't walk normally and am on crutches again two years after surgery. Betz is simply ignoring me. My right leg is f*cked and hurts like hell.

[RB]

Hey guys,

Just discharged from the hospital after the ITB release. Doctor came to visit me before I left and said everything went well, he released both IT bands completely and also aligned my hips while I was in surgery as my left had become crooked due to the left ITB being tighter.

Pain has been very minimal, the only pain I have is at the incision site (4/10) when I bend my legs in bed or when I bend them to walk but no pain otherwise and doctor said incision pain will get improve over the next couple of days. But holy crap I am excited to tell you guys that my wide legs are completely gone and my legs are 100% in like a normal person when I have been walking with the crutches! My duck ass has also 100% disappeared when putting my legs together! I knew doing the release would help but I didn't think it would work instantly for both duck ass and wide legs. I will be mainly using crutches for the next 2 weeks or so as my legs are still weak and heavy from surgery but I am so glad I decided to undergo this procedure.

This really demonstrates that an ITB release should be done for all femur lengthening's. Some people may get lucky and not get hit with wide legs / duck ass but majority of people will have some form of issue that arise from tight IT bands such as a hip deformity on top of the wide legs and duck ass. I still recommend Betz in the current LL market as his nail is truly weight bearing and I'd still choose that over Precise, however be aware that not doing an ITB release can cause major issues and be ready to do it with another doctor willing to perform it unless you want to spend months and months rehabbing after lengthening with no guarantee that it will fix the issues caused by tight IT bands.

Once again I am extremely happy with the result! Just need to rest and recover for the next few days and stay on top of PT.

Tell me about it. I can't walk normally and am on crutches again two years after surgery. Betz is simply ignoring me. My right leg is f*cked and hurts like hell.

Sorry to hear that mate. Do you know what is causing the right leg issues? Did it just appear randomly after 2 years and were you walking normally before this? Any response from Betz yet?

[inchesmatter]

Yeah, he responded by saying after reviewing my X-rays he cannot find an explanation for the pain. It may well be my own fault, as I over-aggressively twisted my leg trying to internally rotate the hip and the next day the pain started. I did get an X-ray and found a bone spur growing out of the new bone, so that may be it, too. I just don’t know, but it hurts badly and I cannot walk normally at all. This whole process has been nightmarishly slow for me. My improvement has been very, very slow. Even now when I lie in bed on my back, my lower back feels as though I have duckass. My front upper thighs are also sore every time I get up from a seated position. Does that mean I have a tight IT band? No amount of stretching helps for two years now. I am also sore in the inner groin area on both legs. Two years now.

[DonBones]

Hey guys,

Just discharged from the hospital after the ITB release. Doctor came to visit me before I left and said everything went well, he released both IT bands completely and also aligned my hips while I was in surgery as my left had become crooked due to the left ITB being tighter.

Pain has been very minimal, the only pain I have is at the incision site (4/10) when I bend my legs in bed or when I bend them to walk but no pain otherwise and doctor said incision pain will get improve over the next couple of days. But holy crap I am excited to tell you guys that my wide legs are completely gone and my legs are 100% in like a normal person when I have been walking with the crutches! My duck ass has also 100% disappeared when putting my legs together! I knew doing the release would help but I didn't think it would work instantly for both duck ass and wide legs. I will be mainly using crutches for the next 2 weeks or so as my legs are still weak and heavy from surgery but I am so glad I decided to undergo this procedure.

This really demonstrates that an ITB release should be done for all femur lengthening's. Some people may get lucky and not get hit with wide legs / duck ass but majority of people will have some form of issue that arise from tight IT bands such as a hip deformity on top of the wide legs and duck ass. I still recommend Betz in the current LL market as his nail is truly weight bearing and I'd still choose that over Precise, however be aware that not doing an ITB release can cause major issues and be ready to do it with another doctor willing to perform it unless you want to spend months and months rehabbing after lengthening with no guarantee that it will fix the issues caused by tight IT bands.

Once again I am extremely happy with the result! Just need to rest and recover for the next few days and stay on top of PT.

Sorry to hear that mate. Do you know what is causing the right leg issues? Did it just appear randomly after 2 years and were you walking normally before this? Any response from Betz yet?

Thanks for the update. Happy to hear it went well. By the sounds of it IT band release will be necessary for me too. It sucks, but at least it does not seem to be a complicated procedure. May I ask how much it costs?

[DonBones]

Yeah, he responded by saying after reviewing my X-rays he cannot find an explanation for the pain. It may well be my own fault, as I over-aggressively twisted my leg trying to internally rotate the hip and the next day the pain started. I did get an X-ray and found a bone spur growing out of the new bone, so that may be it, too. I just don’t know, but it hurts badly and I cannot walk normally at all. This whole process has been nightmarishly slow for me. My improvement has been very, very slow. Even now when I lie in bed on my back, my lower back feels as though I have duckass. My front upper thighs are also sore every time I get up from a seated position. Does that mean I have a tight IT band? No amount of stretching helps for two years now. I am also sore in the inner groin area on both legs. Two years now.

Sorry to hear that. I may upset you saying this, but two years later, and with only x rays to go by Betz won't be able to help you. He can't know a lot that could have happened in between such as what you described above. It sucks, but you should likely consult someone else closer to you.

Hopefully at least you achieved your lengthening goal and can enjoy your height. How much did you lengthen?

[RB]

Thanks for the update. Happy to hear it went well. By the sounds of it IT band release will be necessary for me too. It sucks, but at least it does not seem to be a complicated procedure. May I ask how much it costs?

Thanks man!

My insurance covered it so I only ended up paying about $750 AUD out of pocket but if I had to fund it it would have been roughly $3000-4000 AUD which is probably around 2000 to 2500 euros. That's for Australia but it may be similar to other countries.

[DonBones]

Thanks man!

My insurance covered it so I only ended up paying about $750 AUD out of pocket but if I had to fund it it would have been roughly $3000-4000 AUD which is probably around 2000 to 2500 euros. That's for Australia but it may be similar to other countries.

Okay cheers, at least it's quite manageable money wise. How are you doing otherwise? Walking alright? Enjoying the new height?

[SirStretchAlot]

Hey guys,

Just discharged from the hospital after the ITB release. Doctor came to visit me before I left and said everything went well, he released both IT bands completely and also aligned my hips while I was in surgery as my left had become crooked due to the left ITB being tighter.

Pain has been very minimal, the only pain I have is at the incision site (4/10) when I bend my legs in bed or when I bend them to walk but no pain otherwise and doctor said incision pain will get improve over the next couple of days. But holy crap I am excited to tell you guys that my wide legs are completely gone and my legs are 100% in like a normal person when I have been walking with the crutches! My duck ass has also 100% disappeared when putting my legs together! I knew doing the release would help but I didn't think it would work instantly for both duck ass and wide legs. I will be mainly using crutches for the next 2 weeks or so as my legs are still weak and heavy from surgery but I am so glad I decided to undergo this procedure.

This really demonstrates that an ITB release should be done for all femur lengthening's. Some people may get lucky and not get hit with wide legs / duck ass but majority of people will have some form of issue that arise from tight IT bands such as a hip deformity on top of the wide legs and duck ass. I still recommend Betz in the current LL market as his nail is truly weight bearing and I'd still choose that over Precise, however be aware that not doing an ITB release can cause major issues and be ready to do it with another doctor willing to perform it unless you want to spend months and months rehabbing after lengthening with no guarantee that it will fix the issues caused by tight IT bands.

Once again I am extremely happy with the result! Just need to rest and recover for the next few days and stay on top of PT.

Sorry to hear that mate. Do you know what is causing the right leg issues? Did it just appear randomly after 2 years and were you walking normally before this? Any response from Betz yet?

Wow I'm envious you completely recovered. My wide legs improved significantly, but hamstrings are still too tight for me to completely close my legs. More work is needed for me.

Thanks for the update. Happy to hear it went well. By the sounds of it IT band release will be necessary for me too. It sucks, but at least it does not seem to be a complicated procedure. May I ask how much it costs?

If you haven't paid the deposit, I would consider Guichet. He uses the same nail as Betz and performs the release during initial surgery. Note that the ITB incisions are quite large. You don't want more scars.

I paid 2350 Euros for Giotikas from Athens. Great doctor. If you do go with Betz, be prepared for minimal post-surgical care if you leave Germany.

Considering you're only doing 6cm, it is on the border of what's possible by PT. Work hard and maybe you will get through it. As soon as your legs widen out of control, perform the release immediately. Not only does it immobolize you and prevent you from stretching other muscle groups, it could also deform your knees/hip as it had for RB.

[DonBones]

Wow I'm envious you completely recovered. My wide legs improved significantly, but hamstrings are still too tight for me to completely close my legs. More work is needed for me.

If you haven't paid the deposit, I would consider Guichet. He uses the same nail as Betz and performs the release during initial surgery. Note that the ITB incisions are quite large. You don't want more scars.

I paid 2350 Euros for Giotikas from Athens. Great doctor. If you do go with Betz, be prepared for minimal post-surgical care if you leave Germany.

Considering you're only doing 6cm, it is on the border of what's possible by PT. Work hard and maybe you will get through it. As soon as your legs widen out of control, perform the release immediately. Not only does it immobolize you and prevent you from stretching other muscle groups, it could also deform your knees/hip as it had for RB.

Already paid the deposit, booked the flights, my stay with Elke and even a driver! Too late to back out I'm afraid.

[RB]

Yeah, he responded by saying after reviewing my X-rays he cannot find an explanation for the pain. It may well be my own fault, as I over-aggressively twisted my leg trying to internally rotate the hip and the next day the pain started. I did get an X-ray and found a bone spur growing out of the new bone, so that may be it, too. I just don’t know, but it hurts badly and I cannot walk normally at all. This whole process has been nightmarishly slow for me. My improvement has been very, very slow. Even now when I lie in bed on my back, my lower back feels as though I have duckass. My front upper thighs are also sore every time I get up from a seated position. Does that mean I have a tight IT band? No amount of stretching helps for two years now. I am also sore in the inner groin area on both legs. Two years now.

Yeah I would also feel my duck ass through my lower back when I laid down in bed so it could be tight IT bands. Do you walk with wide legs still?

Okay cheers, at least it's quite manageable money wise. How are you doing otherwise? Walking alright? Enjoying the new height?

Walking is good from the standpoint that I can now walk with my legs close but since the surgery was only 24 hours ago the pain and swelling from the incisions is causing me to walk very slow but I think this will improve in the coming days.

Now that I can see and feel my full height it's the best feeling. Although I'm not fully recovered by a long shot, it's great to see the hard work pay off in the form of the new height finally.

Wow I'm envious you completely recovered. My wide legs improved significantly, but hamstrings are still too tight for me to completely close my legs. More work is needed for me.

I think because I spent the last 4 weeks of consolidation really stretching out my hamstrings that it allows me to put the legs in all the way. Once you loosen your hamstrings more I'm sure your will come all the way in too

[chasing_higher_dream]

Congrats, RB. Now enjoy your new height. The sweet outcome of the hard labor you did for previous months 

[Highest]

Hey RB, what did your hip realignment entail?

[RB]

Congrats, RB. Now enjoy your new height. The sweet outcome of the hard labor you did for previous months 

Thanks man! Wishing you the best for the rest of your journey. You’ll be at your goal height in no time .

Hey RB, what did your hip realignment entail?

Hey man, the hip realignment was known as manipulation under anaesthesia of the hips and it involves stretching/realigning the hips in a way that is not possible while awake due to pain. That was the explanation he gave and looking at my hips they definitely look straighter now.

[LegendKiller]

Hey guys,

Speaking on the subject of an ITB - release, it Def. Should be considered when lengthening the femurs.
I also did my LL with betz and was operated 3 days after RB (hey bro we did it congrats   )
I lengthened a total of 9,9cm, everything went pretty similar to RB's journey, towards the end it got harder and harder, it definitely was the toughest time of my entire life. While in general everything went smooth during lengthning, the wide stance and tight IT Band present by far the worst problem-for me as well! It got progressively worse during lengthning and its now keeping me from being able to walk even one step unassisted, legs are just to wide apart. I've been in, constant contact with RB throughout the entire lengthing process and now that he has successfully undergone ITB-release I'm strongly considering it as well.
I also talked to betz about the entire issue and was quite disappointed by his reaction and behavior towards me. He insists its not necessary and that the problem will subside overtime with enough PT (which may be true) but at a certain point TIME becomes the main issue there, cause IMO doing 6 Monts to 1 year of rigorous PT to get the legs to come in is totally inacaptable and mentally a huge negative for ANY patient having that problem.
It's quite insane that even tho I'm done lengthing you don't really notice a real increase in height due to the wide stance, which is quite frustrating.
Betz, as RB said is a very good surgeon but him not releasing the IT Band during the first surgery seems to be huge mistake as so many people struggle with that afterwards so IF you do LL with betz, make sure you got options of doing an ITB-release and be prepared for these circumstances.

[RB]

Hey guys,

Speaking on the subject of an ITB - release, it Def. Should be considered when lengthening the femurs.
I also did my LL with betz and was operated 3 days after RB (hey bro we did it congrats   )
I lengthened a total of 9,9cm, everything went pretty similar to RB's journey, towards the end it got harder and harder, it definitely was the toughest time of my entire life. While in general everything went smooth during lengthning, the wide stance and tight IT Band present by far the worst problem-for me as well! It got progressively worse during lengthning and its now keeping me from being able to walk even one step unassisted, legs are just to wide apart. I've been in, constant contact with RB throughout the entire lengthing process and now that he has successfully undergone ITB-release I'm strongly considering it as well.
I also talked to betz about the entire issue and was quite disappointed by his reaction and behavior towards me. He insists its not necessary and that the problem will subside overtime with enough PT (which may be true) but at a certain point TIME becomes the main issue there, cause IMO doing 6 Monts to 1 year of rigorous PT to get the legs to come in is totally inacaptable and mentally a huge negative for ANY patient having that problem.
It's quite insane that even tho I'm done lengthing you don't really notice a real increase in height due to the wide stance, which is quite frustrating.
Betz, as RB said is a very good surgeon but him not releasing the IT Band during the first surgery seems to be huge mistake as so many people struggle with that afterwards so IF you do LL with betz, make sure you got options of doing an ITB-release and be prepared for these circumstances.

Hey bro! Good to see you on the forum and congrats on hitting 10cm, huge achievement! Yeah I agree, Betz is still a good option but people need to be aware of what no ITB release can mean as it can lead to many post lengthening issues. At least there is the option to release it after but doing it in the initial surgery is ideal.

[SirStretchAlot]

Hey guys,

Speaking on the subject of an ITB - release, it Def. Should be considered when lengthening the femurs.
I also did my LL with betz and was operated 3 days after RB (hey bro we did it congrats   )
I lengthened a total of 9,9cm, everything went pretty similar to RB's journey, towards the end it got harder and harder, it definitely was the toughest time of my entire life. While in general everything went smooth during lengthning, the wide stance and tight IT Band present by far the worst problem-for me as well! It got progressively worse during lengthning and its now keeping me from being able to walk even one step unassisted, legs are just to wide apart. I've been in, constant contact with RB throughout the entire lengthing process and now that he has successfully undergone ITB-release I'm strongly considering it as well.
I also talked to betz about the entire issue and was quite disappointed by his reaction and behavior towards me. He insists its not necessary and that the problem will subside overtime with enough PT (which may be true) but at a certain point TIME becomes the main issue there, cause IMO doing 6 Monts to 1 year of rigorous PT to get the legs to come in is totally inacaptable and mentally a huge negative for ANY patient having that problem.
It's quite insane that even tho I'm done lengthing you don't really notice a real increase in height due to the wide stance, which is quite frustrating.
Betz, as RB said is a very good surgeon but him not releasing the IT Band during the first surgery seems to be huge mistake as so many people struggle with that afterwards so IF you do LL with betz, make sure you got options of doing an ITB-release and be prepared for these circumstances.

Man I've been writing about Betz and ITB release for months. It's good to see now that I and RB have done it with positive results, others with similar problems are coming out.

My wide legs exploded at 4cm. By 5cm, I was 60cm wide. By 9.9cm I'd imagine you doing a permanent split, lol. Most doctors will tell you at that point, you're unlikely to recover normal function unless ITBs are released.

Further, while you will notice a 50%~ reduction in wide legs, your hip flexor and hamstring shortness are actually hidden by the wide legs. It'll take you another month of stretching to narrow back completely.

Hence why it is important to get ITB release in the beginning, so you don't widen to start with.

[LegendKiller]

Man I've been writing about Betz and ITB release for months. It's good to see now that I and RB have done it with positive results, others with similar problems are coming out.

My wide legs exploded at 4cm. By 5cm, I was 60cm wide. By 9.9cm I'd imagine you doing a permanent split, lol. Most doctors will tell you at that point, you're unlikely to recover normal function unless ITBs are released.

Further, while you will notice a 50%~ reduction in wide legs, your hip flexor and hamstring shortness are actually hidden by the wide legs. It'll take you another month of stretching to narrow back completely.

Hence why it is important to get ITB release in the beginning, so you don't widen to start with.

Yeah that's true. I was good until like 3 or 4 cm, then at 5cm+ the wide legs really startet to flare up. I stopped lengthing on July 2,since then they came in a bit but nowhere near where they need to be. I don't want to spend 6+months on rigorous PT to get my normal function back, that makes no sense, I rather instantly resolve the problem via an It Band release and you're right, when I stand by myself without crutches my stance is VERY wide, it almost completely hides my height gain, which is crazy considering I went from 172cm to almost 183cm....
Im really disappointed in betz, sure not ERVERY case might need an release but there are Def. Various cases out there who do indeed need one.
Also Walking with wide legs is SO exhausting it really hinders you in your efforts to move enough to where you restore strength and endurance in your legs.
I'm searching for an experienced orthopedic surgeon in my area right now and hope to get an appointment as quickly as possible. Maybe I'll document everything on here in a separate thread.

[SirStretchAlot]

Yeah that's true. I was good until like 3 or 4 cm, then at 5cm+ the wide legs really startet to flare up. I stopped lengthing on July 2,since then they came in a bit but nowhere near where they need to be. I don't want to spend 6+months on rigorous PT to get my normal function back, that makes no sense, I rather instantly resolve the problem via an It Band release and you're right, when I stand by myself without crutches my stance is VERY wide, it almost completely hides my height gain, which is crazy considering I went from 172cm to almost 183cm....
Im really disappointed in betz, sure not ERVERY case might need an release but there are Def. Various cases out there who do indeed need one.
Also Walking with wide legs is SO exhausting it really hinders you in your efforts to move enough to where you restore strength and endurance in your legs.
I'm searching for an experienced orthopedic surgeon in my area right now and hope to get an appointment as quickly as possible. Maybe I'll document everything on here in a separate thread.

Indeed. I went through the exact same experience. 3 points.

1) The exaustion partly comes from the widening, but more from muscle atrophy. Now that I've closed in, I definitely walk faster, but the exhaustion remains.

2) It is expected that most of your bone length will not be reflected in your height, because the ITB has only lengthened minimally. It will compensate for any bone length growth by abducting your legs sideways, so the ITB itself can remain the same length.

3) The ITB release will remove ITB as the bottleneck for your wide legs, but your hip flexor will become the next bottleneck. You will likely narrow 30-50% after surgery. It will take weeks of PT afterwards to stretch your hip flexors hence why I would not consider it an "instant fix."

Regardless, Betz' argument for not wanting to harm healthy tissue is completely trounced by the months, of debilitating abduction, which will cause deformities if not resolved long term. He's 70 and considers himself authoritative. That's why he will never take our experiences seriously and change his mind.

[LegendKiller]

Indeed. I went through the exact same experience. 3 points.

1) The exaustion partly comes from the widening, but more from muscle atrophy. Now that I've closed in, I definitely walk faster, but the exhaustion remains.

2) It is expected that most of your bone length will not be reflected in your height, because the ITB has only lengthened minimally. It will compensate for any bone length growth by abducting your legs sideways, so the ITB itself can remain the same length.

3) The ITB release will remove ITB as the bottleneck for your wide legs, but your hip flexor will become the next bottleneck. You will likely narrow 30-50% after surgery. It will take weeks of PT afterwards to stretch your hip flexors hence why I would not consider it an "instant fix."

Regardless, Betz' argument for not wanting to harm healthy tissue is completely trounced by the months, of debilitating abduction, which will cause deformities if not resolved long term. He's 70 and considers himself authoritative. That's why he will never take our experiences seriously and change his mind.

Yeah you may be right on that, I´m looking for appointments now and will most likely have to wait 1,5-2 Months before having a safe surgery date anyway, so i´m going to use that time to at least TRY to stretch the IT-band as much as possible and also work a lot on my hip flexor mobility, that seems to be a good plan for the next weeks ahead. Other than that of course muscle athrophy and lack of strength is the second major issue, I´m already working multiple times a week on bringing back quads, glutes etc. but of course that will take some time as well, since I´m only 1 week into consolidation phase. Betz looked over my Xrays 2 days ago and basically told me everything is where its supposed to be at this point, still have to be careful tho and walk on crutches for at least 3 more months until he needs the next Xrays from the front and side. Honestly thats all to be expected and tolerable but as RB´s experience already showed, just being able to stand up STRAIGHT with feed in close from the ITB-release and feel your true height makes such a huch difference and most likely gives you a huge mental advantage for the next months in crutches that lie ahead. I hope to experience the same feeling soon, right now my mental state really isnt all that good as lengthning itself was very tough and now I gotta deal with the wide legs issue.