internal tibia recovery / pain question

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i know that internal femur consolidation once lengthening is finished lasts about 1-2 months, at least according to the doctors i've spoken with. how about for internal tibia? and i read somewhere on the forum that even with top tier doctors, you run a risk of permanent knee pain with internal tibia? i find this hard to believe i guess but maybe that's just wishful thinking on my part, please let me know what you think. thanks

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Just to clarify, consolidation for any segment will take much longer than 1-2 months. What you've been quoted is most likely the time it takes before unassisted weight bearing (i.e. stop using crutches/walkers). Full consolidation will be close to a year post-op.

Anterior knee pain is a definite possibility, though doctors have suggested improved methods to minimize it, and it seems that nail removal after consolidation is helpful in many patients that complain about knee pain.

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I'd not do internal tibias. I just don't see the point. The price is the same as internal femurs but the risks of sequelae are greater. Increasing tibial length (alone) will also lead to a poor tibial/femoral ratio likely to cause hip/knee pain in the future. With internals it might be even worse due to the traumatic processes involving inserting and removing the nail, and the fact internals in tibias aren't as good about ensuring proper alignment as externals are.

Anyone feel free to correct me if they disagree.

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right and right, i was a bit imprecise in my phrasing, i just meant unassisted weight bearing, and yes internal femur is a better bet than internal tibia... i'm interested in femur AND THEN tibia later on.