Q & A With Dr Franz Birkholtz

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Quote from: Tall on February 06, 2014, 11:03:51 PMDr. Birkholtz,

Thank you so much for participating on this forum. The diffierence you make in people's lives by providing quality advice, information, and warnings is invaluable and unfathomably appreciated.

I was wondering what your take is on cosmetic arm lengthening. As you know, some people who desire cosmetic LL are not so ideally proportioned for the surgery, but still would love to be taller. Arm length is sometimes a limiting factor, and some have researched cosmetic arm lengthening as a means to maintain a proportional appearance.

Recently, in a discussion, it was brought up by several sources that cosmetic forearm lengthening is not safe and sensible at this point in time. One reason being that the pronation and supination capabilities of the forearm would never recover. Is this true? If so, why would this capability not recover with sufficient physical therapy once the radius and ulna have completely consolidated?

Also, what is your take on cosmetic lengthening of the humerus?

I look forward to your responses.

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Quote from: rickybobby on February 08, 2014, 01:07:10 AMFINALLY,

We found a DR, that is generous enough to respond to our concerns.
Thank you so much for your time!!!

Dr. I have a couple of questions

1. On femoral lengthening how do you prevent valgar deformity and vulgus deformatiy from forming on our knees while lengthening?

2. Do you use forteo on patients that have a very small bone cloud or nonunion?

3. What do you think about the weight bearing ability of the alibizza nails for the 13mm diameter nail given that betz/guicet both allow weight bearing with crutches?

4. Do you use titanium nail replacements if the precice nail gets bend and can you get titanium screws in the proximal and distal portion for added support

5. The precice2 nail is 75 pounds weight capacity per leg is that for all the diamaters of the nails? Also if you weigh more than 150lbs are you in a wheelchair bound during the whole time of lengthening?

6. Is it possible to lengthening to lengthening at home and take the erc device with you?

Thank you so much for your time!!

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Quote from: theuprising on February 17, 2014, 11:59:50 PMDr B I was wondering if a patient could get precise femurs done, then after lengthening
get the femur nail removed and have their tibia's lengthened in the same op?
Thanks

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Quote from: Cooper on February 17, 2014, 10:50:13 PMDear Dr. Birkholtz,
Will you be OK if patient wants to lengthen humerus? How much it will be with precise and and non-precise? I am not thinking about doing it but want keep that as an option. My wingspan is short. I might transform way out of proportion when I do both femur and tibia which is my current plan.

Thank you!

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Quote from: Kilokahn on February 18, 2014, 12:17:59 PMAre monorail fixators on tibias just as feasible as the classic ilizarov fixators for external only of 5.5 cm? I run a small business and one of my concerns is that the bulky ilizarov frames may be too much of an office distraction.  For that reason I was considering LATN so I could consolidate once the frames are off without people knowing what exactly I did, but the risk of permanent knee pain does worry me and I'm thinking of suk it up and working near employees with frames on. I think monorails would be less "in your face", and perhaps more comfortable for extended wear, but then again I've got quite a bulky wrestler type of build and I don't want to risk my tibias snapping or something.