Is 4 cm tibias+4 cm femurs safer and easier than doing 7-8 cm femurs?

If I understand it correctly, risk of complications isn't defined by how much you lengthen overall, but per segment. Would that mean that doing 4 cm on the femurs and then later 4 cm on the tibias is safer than doing 7 or 8 cm on the femurs only? Or does the increased risk from doing tibias (since most people agree femurs are safer) make them about equal in risk?

Also, does splitting the lengthening into 2 separate short surgeries/post-op recoveries like this make it more bearable? You lengthen 4 cm, a relatively small increase, then come back after a while and do the same instead of doing 8 cm in one difficult go?

That's a great question.
I think only very (very) experienced surgeons who had all these kind of combinations surgeries under their belt would have a decent answer.

Bump

Lengthening the femur and tibia by 8 cm together is much safer than making 8 cm in one segment. The best solution is a 4.5 cm femur and 3.6 cm tibia

You can do the tibia and 3 weeks later the femur. But some doctors tell you to wait 6 months between both surgeries.

Quote from: Robert Adam on December 03, 2023, 11:41:00 AMLengthening the femur and tibia by 8 cm together is much safer than making 8 cm in one segment. The best solution is a 4.5 cm femur and 3.6 cm tibia

Nice, so the increase in risk you get from introducing short tibial lengthening is still less than doing a large femoral lengthening with no tibia?

I think that lengthening the tibia by 3.6 cm + 4.5 cm of the femur is a lower risk than 8 cm in the femur. The problem is twice the price.

If you lengthen the femur by 8 cm, you may look a bit strange and have changed movement dynamics. Extension of the bones of both segments in a 0.8/1 ratio will be more natural.

Remember the alpha angle. You will lengthen your bones by 8 cm, but you will grow 7.7 cm.

Quote from: Robert Adam on December 03, 2023, 01:28:08 PMI think that lengthening the tibia by 3.6 cm + 4.5 cm of the femur is a lower risk than 8 cm in the femur. The problem is twice the price.

And I assume breaking the lengthening into 2 smaller parts with time apart them probably makes it psychologically and physically easier right?