Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Among us]

Good stuff King 👑

[Stubborn Knucklehead]

8/1/23

Here are the images of my X-Ray taken yesterday morning. According to these, I should be at 8.3cm by this evening. Just one week left to go.

 

[Stubborn Knucklehead]

8/7/2023

As of today I am at 8.9cm and will have my removal surgery on the 9th. I can’t tell you how relieved I am to finally be done with this. I’m very grateful that my knee flexion has remained relatively good and healthy throughout this process, so hopefully my recovery will not be so bad. For people considering going past 8cm, just know you’ll be in a whole different world of pain, which is crazy considering LON on your femurs is already torture. I’m not saying not to do it, but just to be aware of how bad it will be for you.

Also, I’m aware there have been a lot of criticisms of the company I chose to do this procedure with as of late, and I don’t wish to weigh in on it. There is plenty of information out there at this point and I feel like you guys can do your research and use your best judgement.

The positive aspects of this company are definitely the doctor, who is knowledgeable and well skilled in what he does. I also appreciated working with the physical therapy staff who had good attitudes and for the most part knew how to help throughout this entire process. I admit I had some issues with the accommodations here. For prospective patients looking to come here, perhaps find a different place to stay nearby until the company can sort these issues out.

Bonus note: if you can arrange to have a friend or family member stay with you through this process, I HIGHLY recommend it. It is extremely difficult to take care of yourself during this process, especially once you really lose mobility after 6-7cm.

I will make an update post after my removal surgery.

[Among us]

Congrats King 👑  I will be waiting on the other side

[Tyler]

sounds like success. I'm happy for you.

[Ahri]

congrats! Get those fixators off. 

[Stubborn Knucklehead]

8/9/2023

I’m in the hospital right now, it’s been a few hours since I’ve woken up after the removal surgery. All I can say is, everyone was right: the pain was exponentially worse than the first surgery. The first hour and half was the most painful hour and half of my life and it really was unfathomable levels of pain. All I can say is I’m glad that part is over.

Onto the positives. Everything seems to have gone well. The doctor did a minor IT band release on both my legs, which I definitely needed. He helped fix the huge craters in my legs from the pin sites, and he said the stem cells went well and he had more than enough to cover the entire gap in both legs adequately. The doctor also straightened out the rod in my legs more than how they were prior to the surgery and they definitely look much straighter now. Moreover, he confirmed that I did get 9cm of height increase right on the dot. I haven’t lost any feeling in my feet and I’m not bleeding excessively or anything.

I will continue to make more posts as I rehabilitate but I’m very grateful that everything went as well as it could’ve and the worst is behind me. I want to thank everyone in my life and in this thread who have been so supportive of me throughout this process. Your kindness means a lot to me!

[BestOfLuck]

Proud of you bro, wishing for a healthy rehabilitation, keep us updated on how your feeling🤞🏽

[our time]

Awesome, let's recover and enjoy life! 

[QuarkSoup]

Congratulations on coming this far, brother!  I think it is a wise decision to max out as long as the physiotherapists and the doctor approve. When you are in the middle of the process, you lose tons of muscle, and your femur looks so weird and long. As you build muscles, it looks normal and ordinary; no one could notice a thing. The reason I stopped at 8.5-8.6 cm was because of concerns about proportion, and I didn't want to continue. If I could go back in time, I would max out and also buy lots of NASDAQ call options

[Kangrus]

Good stuff champ

[Maison]

8/1/23

Here are the images of my X-Ray taken yesterday morning. According to these, I should be at 8.3cm by this evening. Just one week left to go.

 

Just to let you know, X-ray images are magnified, so if you haven't performed calibration, please be aware that the actual length might be shorter than what appears on the X-ray image.

https://ibb.co/vJYFsMg
73.5mm is your calibrated length?

[Stubborn Knucklehead]

Just to let you know, X-ray images are magnified, so if you haven't performed calibration, please be aware that the actual length might be shorter than what appears on the X-ray image.

https://ibb.co/vJYFsMg
73.5mm is your calibrated length?

73.5mm was what I gained from turning, the rest I got from my initial bonus. I will post my final x-ray and measurements in my next update

[Stubborn Knucklehead]

8/19/2023

It’s been exactly 10 days since my removal surgery and I’m already feeling a lot better. I had some nerve pain for the first week but I’ve upped my vitamin B dosage and this has since gotten much better. My hamstring flexibility is pretty good but my quad flexibility is not great. I can barley get my knees to bend to 90 degrees. I’m told this is very normal considering I achieved 9cm in height gain. My lumbar lordosis isn’t terrible but it’s still causing me to lose at least a centimeter, so I wore sandals in my picture to compensate for that. Overall, I’m happy with my new height, and I’m looking forward to when I can walk around normally again. Thanks again for all of the kind words from everyone.




 

[Maison]

8/19/2023

It’s been exactly 10 days since my removal surgery and I’m already feeling a lot better. I had some nerve pain for the first week but I’ve upped my vitamin B dosage and this has since gotten much better. My hamstring flexibility is pretty good but my quad flexibility is not great. I can barley get my knees to bend to 90 degrees. I’m told this is very normal considering I achieved 9cm in height gain. My lumbar lordosis isn’t terrible but it’s still causing me to lose at least a centimeter, so I wore sandals in my picture to compensate for that. Overall, I’m happy with my new height, and I’m looking forward to when I can walk around normally again. Thanks again for all of the kind words from everyone.




 

Congratulations on completing the long journey.
I believe your femur has been lengthened by more than 8 cm, but the precise measurement will be determined after calibrating the magnification of the X-ray image.
If you can tell me the diameter of your nail, I will try to estimate the actual amount of lengthening.

[Stubborn Knucklehead]

Congratulations on completing the long journey.
I believe your femur has been lengthened by more than 8 cm, but the precise measurement will be determined after calibrating the magnification of the X-ray image.
If you can tell me the diameter of your nail, I will try to estimate the actual amount of lengthening.

I’m not positive but I believe it’s 10.5mm give or take half a millimeter. Thanks for offering to calibrate I’m curious to see what you think!

[Maison]

I’m not positive but I believe it’s 10.5mm give or take half a millimeter. Thanks for offering to calibrate I’m curious to see what you think!

Your nail diameter = 10.5mm, nail diameter's dots = 52, length per dot = 0.2019mm,
dots you measured for the lengthening amount = 483 dots, actual lengthening amount = 483 * 0.2019mm = 97.52mm.

In my calibration, the actual lengthening amount came close to 10cm.
I believe the actual diameter of the nail might not be 10.5mm.

If you can find out the accurate nail diameter, please try calculating it yourself.
Also, when measuring with the original data instead of PNG, for example, if the nail diameter in the image is 11mm and the actual nail diameter is 10mm, you can consider that the image is enlarged by 10% compared to the actual object, and you can calibrate accordingly

[Stubborn Knucklehead]

Your nail diameter = 10.5mm, nail diameter's dots = 52, length per dot = 0.2019mm,
dots you measured for the lengthening amount = 483 dots, actual lengthening amount = 483 * 0.2019mm = 97.52mm.

In my calibration, the actual lengthening amount came close to 10cm.
I believe the actual diameter of the nail might not be 10.5mm.

If you can find out the accurate nail diameter, please try calculating it yourself.
Also, when measuring with the original data instead of PNG, for example, if the nail diameter in the image is 11mm and the actual nail diameter is 10mm, you can consider that the image is enlarged by 10% compared to the actual object, and you can calibrate accordingly

I’m looking at a picture of the standard nail they use and it says 10mm. I definitely had the medium size nail used for me so it’s very likely it is 10mm or maybe 10.5mm. But I also believe I only achieved around 9cm because I don’t measure 10cm taller right now. You could say it’s due to the lordosis but I don’t think I’m losing 2cm of height right now. Can you show me the image measurements that day 10cm?

[Maison]

I’m looking at a picture of the standard nail they use and it says 10mm. I definitely had the medium size nail used for me so it’s very likely it is 10mm or maybe 10.5mm. But I also believe I only achieved around 9cm because I don’t measure 10cm taller right now. You could say it’s due to the lordosis but I don’t think I’m losing 2cm of height right now. Can you show me the image measurements that day 10cm?

https://ibb.co/FnV3wQR
https://ibb.co/X5bh5VY
These are the pixel counts measured using GIMP.

Since X-ray images are never reduced in size compared to their actual dimensions, I don't believe that your actual length is 10 cm.
For example, if the actual diameter of the nail that I measured in pixels is 9 mm, the lengthening would be 83.6 mm.

My concern is that there are medical institutions that do not explain to patients that X-ray images are magnified.
The error that occurs is usually within one centimeter, but for patients who are concerned about their height, it could be a significant discrepancy.

[Stubborn Knucklehead]

8/25/23

It’s been over two weeks since my removal surgery and I’m back home now. I use a walker with wheels for 95% of my daily routine at this point and I feel like I’m slowly getting my strength and mobility back. My x-Ray results showed I did achieve over 9cm after being calibrated with a ruler next to the x-Ray, and the bone consolidation looks good considering it has only been two weeks. It is still difficult for me to stand fully upright, I believe I’m still losing about 1cm of height due to posture. That being said, with shoes on I am about 178cm which was exactly my goal. I am looking forward to continuously improving and getting back to my normal life.

 
 

[tallertaller]

8/25/23

It’s been over two weeks since my removal surgery and I’m back home now. I use a walker with wheels for 95% of my daily routine at this point and I feel like I’m slowly getting my strength and mobility back. My x-Ray results showed I did achieve over 9cm after being calibrated with a ruler next to the x-Ray, and the bone consolidation looks good considering it has only been two weeks. It is still difficult for me to stand fully upright, I believe I’m still losing about 1cm of height due to posture. That being said, with shoes on I am about 178cm which was exactly my goal. I am looking forward to continuously improving and getting back to my normal life.

 
 

Great diary. Looking forward to your updates.

On the last photo your wearing nike shoes which add like 1.4 inches to height and barefoot on the first photo. It might be more accurate to photo without shoes.

[Stubborn Knucklehead]

Great diary. Looking forward to your updates.

On the last photo your wearing nike shoes which add like 1.4 inches to height and barefoot on the first photo. It might be more accurate to photo without shoes.

Thanks I appreciate it! Nike Air Force shoes add roughly 3cm and my are kinda worn out so I’d say they add only about 2.5cm. Barefoot I’m around 175cm right now but I think once my back straightens out I’ll be a solid 176cm

[Maison]

It is true that you have achieved a significant amount of lengthening, and I think that is great.
However, I have several concerns with this achievement:

(1) Was the ruler placed directly on top of the x-ray plate, instead of being placed on a platform at the same height as the distance from the x-ray plate to the femur?
If so, the ruler would not be magnified, while the bone would be, leading to inaccurate length measurements.

(2) A photograph taken after lengthening does not prove 9 cm lengthening for the following reasons:
　(a) Shoes are worn in the photo after lengthening. (noted by tallertaller)
　(b) The heel is not attached to the wall in the photo after lengthening.
　(c) The position of the top of the head cannot be determined due to the stamp that hides the face.

I occasionally see posts from patients who say they have shrunk since returning home, but in most of those cases the measurements at LL hospital are not accurate.

[Stubborn Knucklehead]

It is true that you have achieved a significant amount of lengthening, and I think that is great.
However, I have several concerns with this achievement:

(1) Was the ruler placed directly on top of the x-ray plate, instead of being placed on a platform at the same height as the distance from the x-ray plate to the femur?
If so, the ruler would not be magnified, while the bone would be, leading to inaccurate length measurements.

(2) A photograph taken after lengthening does not prove 9 cm lengthening for the following reasons:
　(a) Shoes are worn in the photo after lengthening. (noted by tallertaller)
　(b) The heel is not attached to the wall in the photo after lengthening.
　(c) The position of the top of the head cannot be determined due to the stamp that hides the face.

I occasionally see posts from patients who say they have shrunk since returning home, but in most of those cases the measurements at LL hospital are not accurate.

I’m not sure why you keep making so many comments saying I didn’t get 9cm. I know for a fact my nail was less than 11mm, it was a 10mm nail and by your own pixel calculations that would make my gap more than 9cm. Also the picture of me standing shows I went from 167cm to 178cm (with 3cm shoes that I stated in the forum). If you do the math 178 - 167 - 3 = 8cm and I said my posture is not very good right now because of lordosis hence the missing centimeter. I’ve also shown multiple x-rays displaying that I’ve lengthened 9cm. Moreover, I kept a comprehensive log of every time I lengthened on my external fixator so I know exactly how much height I gained. If it makes you feel better to think I got less height somehow you can go ahead and do that though.

[Maison]

The most significant reason is, while I'm unsure about your clinic, many clinics in Turkey do not perform accurate X-ray magnification correction.
As a result, patients often feel shorter after returning home than the height measured at the clinic.

Furthermore, if the thickness of your nail is 10mm, the pixel calculations don't align. There's a possibility the nail is actually thinner, and for precise assessment, the nail's exact diameter is necessary.

Moreover, if there's lordosis and you can't stand vertically, concealing the height loss with sneakers should have been avoided.
I believe it's not your intention, but it could be perceived as excessive advertising for the clinic.

As a reference, this is PRECICE, not LON, but it is a video that is calibrated using the nail diameter.

[WannaBeTaller-Official]

The most significant reason is, while I'm unsure about your clinic, many clinics in Turkey do not perform accurate X-ray magnification correction.
As a result, patients often feel shorter after returning home than the height measured at the clinic.

Furthermore, if the thickness of your nail is 10mm, the pixel calculations don't align. There's a possibility the nail is actually thinner, and for precise assessment, the nail's exact diameter is necessary.

Moreover, if there's lordosis and you can't stand vertically, concealing the height loss with sneakers should have been avoided.
I believe it's not your intention, but it could be perceived as excessive advertising for the clinic.

As a reference, this is PRECICE, not LON, but it is a video that is calibrated using the nail diameter.

I must say from the very beginning that I both like and appreciate your technical and critical perspective.

First of all, our company avoids using the amount of elongation gained by the patients as an obvious advertising element. Because the amount of elongation can vary according to many factors. From my point of view, advertising should not be done on a multivariate factor. We are very modest in the optimum elongation rates that we recommend to patients anyway. We recommend 6 cm as the optimum -not maximum- elongation amount to our patients. If the patient has done some studies that can increase the amount of elongation, including some exercises, before the surgery, the patient's general physiological condition is good and if he/she manages to have a strict physiotherapy and exercise discipline throughout the process, we can revise this ratio as 6-7 cm or 7-8 cm. However, we recommend our patients not to aim higher than 8-9 cm in a single operation, whether they have been prepared or their physiology is ideal. From our point of view, less risky 6 cm is better than more risky 10 cm.

The aim of the before-after photos on the height scale is to show the amount of elongation that patients gain in the simplest and most concrete way. I do not know the technical details you use in your own measurements, but our height ruler has been prepared using the best measuring technologies and has an accuracy of almost 100% accuracy. Thanks to the strip fixed at the moment of measuring, the patient already sees the before and after of his own height with his own eyes. I can guess that the emoji we use to hide the patient's identity may cause uncertainty about the position of the measuring strip. Measuring with sports shoes is probably the patient's own initiative. I don't think that such a request has been made from him to show his height more than he is. If I'm wrong, he will correct this information anyway. But rest assured, the company never resorts to cheating or exaggerations for advertising purposes in such matters.

[WannaBeTaller-Official]

I’m not sure why you keep making so many comments saying I didn’t get 9cm. I know for a fact my nail was less than 11mm, it was a 10mm nail and by your own pixel calculations that would make my gap more than 9cm. Also the picture of me standing shows I went from 167cm to 178cm (with 3cm shoes that I stated in the forum). If you do the math 178 - 167 - 3 = 8cm and I said my posture is not very good right now because of lordosis hence the missing centimeter. I’ve also shown multiple x-rays displaying that I’ve lengthened 9cm. Moreover, I kept a comprehensive log of every time I lengthened on my external fixator so I know exactly how much height I gained. If it makes you feel better to think I got less height somehow you can go ahead and do that though.

You pushed the limits -9cm- and succeeded in returning to your country in a healthy way. Congratulate yourself, of course I congratulate you, and always be open to constructive criticism. See you again...

[Maison]

I do not know the technical details you use in your own measurements, but our height ruler has been prepared using the best measuring technologies and has an accuracy of almost 100% accuracy.

Thanks for the answer. So the 90.12mm and ruler in the image below are already the corrected values for the magnification of the x-ray image?
https://s8d5.turboimg.net/sp/faac14ad7704dc71a472bd76945b4832/A7983267-BE71-4805-9480-C0FF4AC74285.png

I have checked the number of pixels for each length and it appears that unlike the previous x-ray image without the ruler, this image has been corrected for magnification.

[WannaBeTaller-Official]

Thanks for the answer. So the 90.12mm and ruler in the image below are already the corrected values for the magnification of the x-ray image?
https://s8d5.turboimg.net/sp/faac14ad7704dc71a472bd76945b4832/A7983267-BE71-4805-9480-C0FF4AC74285.png

I have checked the number of pixels for each length and it appears that unlike the previous x-ray image without the ruler, this image has been corrected for magnification.

I will forward your measurements and comments to the relevant personnel/unit and I will share their explanation here. However, as I said, we do not use the amount of elongation as an "obvious" advertising factor. If I see that your explanations make more sense, not the relevant personnel/unit's, I will not hesitate to make corrections here.

[WannaBeTaller-Official]

I will forward your measurements and comments to the relevant personnel/unit and I will share their explanation here. However, as I said, we do not use the amount of elongation as an "obvious" advertising factor. If I see that your explanations make more sense, not the relevant personnel/unit's, I will not hesitate to make corrections here.

"When evaluating the success of limb lengthening surgery, precise measurements of the gained height increase are important. However, due to various factors, achieving a perfectly consistent measurement across all assessments can be challenging. One of the key factors contributing to this variability is the selection of reference points for measurement.

Reference points serve as the basis for measuring the increase in limb length accurately. These points are used to establish a consistent starting and ending position for each measurement. However, because reference points are often anatomical landmarks, their identification might not always be as straightforward as one would hope. Variability can arise due to individual differences in anatomy, surgeon interpretation, and the effects of the surgical procedure itself. Consequently, a small but consistent discrepancy in reference point placement can lead to minute variations in the recorded height increase after each measurement.

Surgeons and medical professionals often use the standard deviation to assess the precision and reliability of the measurements taken during limb lengthening. A higher standard deviation can be an indicator that the measurements might be influenced by factors such as inconsistent reference point placement or other sources of error. Conversely, a lower standard deviation indicates that the measurements are relatively consistent and reliable, enhancing the confidence in the accuracy of the reported height increase." This is the information given to me by the doctor's assistant. I conveyed as much as I could understand from what she told me.

 As much as I understand from what you, and she, said, correcting the image for magnification seems to be one of the possible reasons for deviation too. If I misunderstood, please correct it. If you have suggestions that can reduce the standard deviation in the measurements, be sure that I will transfer them to the relevant personnel/unit with my pleasure.

As I mentioned before, The company's policy is "Less risky less cm is better than more risky more cm." and we are already very modest about lengthening rates:
Optimum rate: 6 cm
If a good preliminary preparation is made / the patient's physiology is suitable / the patient is tenacious in physiotherapy: 7-8 cm.

Therefore, I see no reason to think that there is a tendency to deliberately exaggerate the patient's height gained at the end of the process through measurements. In my opinion, the best way to measure a patient's height gain in the simplest and most concrete way is still a good quality physical height meter/ruler. I recommend that our patients accept the measurement they make with such a height meter/ruler as final.

[Maison]

"When evaluating the success of limb lengthening surgery, precise measurements of the gained height increase are important. However, due to various factors, achieving a perfectly consistent measurement across all assessments can be challenging. One of the key factors contributing to this variability is the selection of reference points for measurement.

Reference points serve as the basis for measuring the increase in limb length accurately. These points are used to establish a consistent starting and ending position for each measurement. However, because reference points are often anatomical landmarks, their identification might not always be as straightforward as one would hope. Variability can arise due to individual differences in anatomy, surgeon interpretation, and the effects of the surgical procedure itself. Consequently, a small but consistent discrepancy in reference point placement can lead to minute variations in the recorded height increase after each measurement.

Surgeons and medical professionals often use the standard deviation to assess the precision and reliability of the measurements taken during limb lengthening. A higher standard deviation can be an indicator that the measurements might be influenced by factors such as inconsistent reference point placement or other sources of error. Conversely, a lower standard deviation indicates that the measurements are relatively consistent and reliable, enhancing the confidence in the accuracy of the reported height increase." This is the information given to me by the doctor's assistant. I conveyed as much as I could understand from what she told me.

 As much as I understand from what you, and she, said, correcting the image for magnification seems to be one of the possible reasons for deviation too. If I misunderstood, please correct it. If you have suggestions that can reduce the standard deviation in the measurements, be sure that I will transfer them to the relevant personnel/unit with my pleasure.

As I mentioned before, The company's policy is "Less risky less cm is better than more risky more cm." and we are already very modest about lengthening rates:
Optimum rate: 6 cm
If a good preliminary preparation is made / the patient's physiology is suitable / the patient is tenacious in physiotherapy: 7-8 cm.

Therefore, I see no reason to think that there is a tendency to deliberately exaggerate the patient's height gained at the end of the process through measurements. In my opinion, the best way to measure a patient's height gain in the simplest and most concrete way is still a good quality physical height meter/ruler. I recommend that our patients accept the measurement they make with such a height meter/ruler as final.

Your response is quite lengthy, but in the end, I interpret that there is no magnification correction being applied to the X-ray images at WBT.
Therefore, until OP can fully stand upright and a height measurement is taken, we cannot definitively say whether the femur has truly lengthened by 9 cm.

While it's a fact that errors can occur even when using nail or calibration ball for magnification correction, it's still better than not doing any correction at all.
However, the magnification rate of X-ray images is only a few percent, so I consider it reliable to think that the OP's femur has indeed lengthened by more than 8 cm.