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Posted on Jun 26, 2021, 2:39 pm
#1

I am planning to do tibia externals.
How common is nerve damage with it ?
I read stories when nerve damage lead to problems with the feet movement.
So what to do with this and will it heal over time ? Should it be main concern before planing surgery?

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Posted on Jun 26, 2021, 2:56 pm
#2

Depends on rate of lengthening, what method in particular you’re doing, how big your lengthening goal is, etc.  All of this is best figured out talking to a surgeon you want to do the surgery with.

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Posted on Jun 26, 2021, 3:38 pm
#3

Quote from: bobbybr21 on June 26, 2021, 02:39:43 PMI am planning to do tibia externals.
How common is nerve damage with it ?
I read stories when nerve damage lead to problems with the feet movement.
So what to do with this and will it heal over time ? Should it be main concern before planing surgery?

With externals and a professional doctor nerve damage is not common at all.

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Posted on Jun 26, 2021, 5:29 pm
#4

Quote from: bobbybr21 on June 26, 2021, 02:39:43 PMI am planning to do tibia externals.
How common is nerve damage with it ?
I read stories when nerve damage lead to problems with the feet movement.
So what to do with this and will it heal over time ? Should it be main concern before planing surgery?


With a good doctor Nerve damage is not from the surgery but from the rate of lengthening almost 100% of the time, as long as you stick to 1mm a day for femur and .75 with tibia

But once you have surgery you will understand why everyone finds it difficult to stick to that rate. Even with risk of nerve damage. I vowed to myself not to go over 1mm a day and here I am with femur fixators doing 1.25, and some other people doing 1.5mm and more per day

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Posted on Jun 26, 2021, 11:28 pm
#5

Quote from: Activatedxx on June 26, 2021, 05:29:20 PMWith a good doctor Nerve damage is not from the surgery but from the rate of lengthening almost 100% of the time, as long as you stick to 1mm a day for femur and .75 with tibia

But once you have surgery you will understand why everyone finds it difficult to stick to that rate. Even with risk of nerve damage. I vowed to myself not to go over 1mm a day and here I am with femur fixators doing 1.25, and some other people doing 1.5mm and more per day


How does that not hurt ridiculously badly?  I’m at 1mm a day (albeit femur internals) and the third lengthening of the day is always the worst, I feel very tight for hours after.

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Posted on Jun 27, 2021, 3:08 am
#6

Quote from: HobbitMan on June 26, 2021, 11:28:16 PMHow does that not hurt ridiculously badly?  I’m at 1mm a day (albeit femur internals) and the third lengthening of the day is always the worst, I feel very tight for hours after.


Both him and I are doing LON. Speculation but I suppose being more mobile helps get out muscles warmer/ready for stretching a lot easier, compared to being immobile by precise. Also to be clear doing 1.25mm never feels great; I don’t look forward to the last turn. Even if it doesn’t hurt I know pain is around the corner

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Posted on Jun 27, 2021, 3:46 am
#7

Quote from: HobbitMan on June 26, 2021, 11:28:16 PMHow does that not hurt ridiculously badly?  I’m at 1mm a day (albeit femur internals) and the third lengthening of the day is always the worst, I feel very tight for hours after.


Honestly when you have internals you don’t have the need to speed up distraction. With femur fixators it’s torture, you should be fine at 1mm, and yeah being mobile makes it much better. 1mm feels fine with me, I barely get more than 1-2/10 pain from that rate, that extra .25 a day makes it double that though

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Posted on Jun 27, 2021, 8:54 am
#8

The 1mm per day rule comes from the rate of nerve growth. Anything more, and you risk nerve damage.

The average bone consolidates at 0.25mm per day. Your lengthening rate should always fall within this range, unless your bones grow faster than average.

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Posted on Jun 27, 2021, 1:51 pm
#9

But I mean about nerve damage during surgery. Of course experience doctor matters.
But what about individual location of nerves ?

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Posted on Jun 27, 2021, 2:11 pm
#10

Quote from: bobbybr21 on June 27, 2021, 01:51:53 PMBut I mean about nerve damage during surgery. Of course experience doctor matters.
But what about individual location of nerves ?


I’d imagine nerve damage during surgery to be extremely rare as long as the doctor is good.

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