Clinical Research On Lengthening and Then Plating

Here is a study I found on LAP by Dr Rozbruch, Dr Fragomen and Dr Harbacheuski.
http://www.limblengthening.com/pdfs/Lengthening%20and%20Then%20Plating.pdf

Quote from: Kilokahn on March 02, 2014, 08:33:44 AMHere's another study comparing plating with nailing.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21904230

It concluded that there was a higher rate of malalignment with intramedullary nails than with plates.

Thanks Kilokahn

Quote from: jerry on March 03, 2014, 02:12:37 PMSo is LATP actually better or worse than LATN/LON?

From the studies, LAP showed lower incidence of malalignment and deep infection compared to LON
LON has a high risk of permanent kee pain (30-50%) from the insertion of the IM nail which LAP avoids.
But the downside of LAP seems to be the scars that would be left behind from the plating.
Here is another study on LAP and LON
http://www.ijoonline.com/article.asp?issn=0019-5413;year=2012;volume=46;issue=3;spage=339;epage=345;aulast=Kulkarni

If modern plating is done as the following images show, then I guess plating is not a bad option at all. The images are from
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3377147/. Keep in mind that this is lengthening over plating and not lengthening and then plating.
Perhaps LOP may avoid harming the regenerate once the fixators are off.