Hello,
I have been thinking about tibia lengthening for a while, I plan to undergo an operation in India next year (being a student, I can't afford it anywhere else). I have few time and few money, I think 4 cms would be enough for me, so I wonder if it is possible to recover from the operation in a 3 month time : about 50 days of lengthening and 40 days of recovery. My goal is to come back in Europe within 3 months to resume my studies, and to be able to walk without any assistance. I just need to be able to walk 3-4 hours a day (not in a single time). I have a healthy body and I'm quite thin (60 kgs).
Do you think a 3 months process for 4cm on tibias after which need no frame nor crutches is possible ? I mean, imagining no complication occurs. If so, have you got some advice ?
Thank you,
No way on tibias with externals. That goal might be plausible with internals but you said money's an issue.
It usually takes about 1.5 months per cm to recover. For 4cm your looking at about 6 months.
QuoteThat goal might be plausible with internals but you said money's an issue.
With LON, do you think it would work ?
I think the recovery is not proportional to the lengthening : for example if it takes 5 months to recover from 5 cms, then it should takes less than 4 months to recover from 4 cms. And 7 cms may need more than 8 months etc. Perhaps I'm wrong though.
LON and LATN does not decrease your bone consolidation time. With a locked nail inside, that nail will connect the 2 broke bones and you can put partial weight on them ( assisted weight bearing). However, to start walking unassisted, the bone gap has to fully consolidated and that takes about 1.5 month per cm on average.
You can't set a strict time limit for something like LL, can go wrong.
I didn't do LL yet myself, but from everything I have read so far (and that has been a lot over the last two weeks), you should give yourself and your bones some time to heal, or things will get really nasty.
if you are not having that time, maybe you should consider doing this a few years later. If you are a student, you are probably still quite young, so no need to hurry.
So one year is good for a good recovery ?
Not even man. You will have to use crutches for a while. Just make up a story. I am thinking of doing the same thing but it is highly unrealistic for me even though I know I am at the peak of physical fitness. 3 months for 5 cm for me would not be even real, being able to walk unassisted to continue working. lol
Hum, I may be too optimistic indeed.
I have read this diary : https://www.reddit.com/r/short/comments/1ugx1y/im_a_guy_who_just_completed_three_months_of_leg/
7,5 cms, 3 months of lengthening, he was able to walk more than 30 min without cruches the 1st May, 4 months after the lengthening was over (7 months since the operation).
I'm not talking about full recovery, but only the ability of walking without any device.
In the no complication case, if it takes 7 months for 7,5 cms, it would be surprising 4 cms need 6 months of recovery as TrueSpartian said, hum ?
Alas, I only read diaries of 5 cms +, 1,5 cms of recovery per month in average may be a data made from these long lengthening experiences, I do think the body tolerates much more easily a 4/3 cms lenghtening.
If somebody has read - 5 cms lengthening diaries somewhere, sharing it would be appreciated.
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