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Quote from: Medium Drink Of Water on June 01, 2020, 02:02:17 PMNo, I don't feel like they're as healthy as the rest of my body:

They're stiff and I feel like I've reached maximum flexibility with them.
They get tired easier than I think they should/would without LL.
The skin looks a little bit splotchy and veiny, especially over the tibialis anterior muscles, and is injured more easily and takes longer to heal.  I bumped my shin two years ago (spring 2018) and broke the skin, and I can still see the mark.  If that had been on my arm, no way would it show right now.

Thank you so much for this answer, I appreciate the fact that you took the time to write that! You're experience helps out alot of people you dont even understand.

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Hi Medium,
For tibia lengthening , is there any danger the fibula can get damaged? What is fixating it? From animations online of the nail procedure, the fibula is fractured so it can lengthen along with the tibia. Thanks in advance.

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It's theoretically possible for the fibula to get damaged.  In fact, that might be desirable if there's some tibia correction that needs to be done.  Maybe the tibia is straightened out while the fibula is left a bit warped/distorted so that the tibial correction could happen.

I think this might have actually happened to me.  I had duck feet before LL and they corrected that by twisting the tibias during the 2nd operation (frame removal and nail locking).  Most likely my fibulas are in an S shape now.

The fibulas are attached with two screws to the tibias - one near the ankle and one near the knee.

The fibula is not a necessary bone.  It doesn't do anything except maybe provide a little bit of stability.  You could be born without them and be fine.

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What if you only did 5cm on tibia.
Do you still think you will have the same muscle problem or tiredness

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Probably not.  I think I should have done only 5 cm.

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Hi MDW, I read a lot of your comments on this site and see you advocating for purely external tibia. Who are the doctors that does external? I've read so many patient diaries and almost all of them are LON. The one that says external in the title is LON too.

Also, how long do you think the whole process(surgery day to walking normally) will be to get 2cm?

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I appreciate this diary as I think it highlights the importance of keeping to a 'safe' amount on tibias. It seems that damage after 4-5cm is exponential.

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Quote from: ape on June 28, 2020, 05:29:24 AMHi MDW, I read a lot of your comments on this site and see you advocating for purely external tibia. Who are the doctors that does external? I've read so many patient diaries and almost all of them are LON. The one that says external in the title is LON too.

Any doctor who offers LON can do external-only.  They just have to not put the nail in; everything else is the same.

QuoteAlso, how long do you think the whole process(surgery day to walking normally) will be to get 2cm?

Dr. Mitkovic originally told me 9 months for 7.5 cm external-only, so I guess about 2.5 months based on that.

Quote from: kats20 on June 28, 2020, 11:25:23 AMI appreciate this diary as I think it highlights the importance of keeping to a 'safe' amount on tibias. It seems that damage after 4-5cm is exponential.

Yeah back in 2007 10 cm was a lot but doable, 7.5 cm was average and reasonable, and 5 cm was highly conservative.

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do you think that shortening would alleviate most of your problems? I guess it's comforting to know that the procedure is reversible in a sense......

Like I said I appreciate how honest you are being.

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I think it probably would.  My problems aren't really that bad or keeping me from doing ordinary things.  A while ago I spent an entire day walking and hiking in a mountain park.

I really don't want to get that delicate, scarred skin cut open again, or pay for another surgery, or lose the height.

But it's something I've considered and might do if I ever start to have worse issues.