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Posted on Sep 22, 2021, 6:51 pm
#1

I've been reading many of the threads here, and one of my biggest nightmares is the possibility of femur fracture after the nails are removed 1 year post-op. Most notoriously in the case of programdude and DreamerLL. For PD it was clear that his bones hadn't fully calcified. This says that this problem can occur on both precice 2.2 and stryde. I'm terrified after seeing DreamerLL's recent post, and I am still searching for an answer to why this happens (despite a doctor's go-ahead for removal):

(1) What are the telltale signs that the bone has indeed fully healed and ready for rod removal? What are the signs that they are not fully healed?

(2) Alternatively, is the extra tension on the muscles post lengthening causing the bones to snap?

(3) Given this possibility, is removal 2 years post op a better idea?

Can anyone with more knowledge / experience please shed some light? Thank you Why does fracture occur after nail removal 1 year post-op?.

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Posted on Oct 10, 2021, 7:32 am
#2

Quote from: TheDream on September 28, 2021, 05:44:05 PMWouldn't there be big hollow regions inside the bone where the metal rod, nail and screws were located prior to removal, which require time for the bone to fill?


This is a great point too. The IM cavity will be devoid of marrow/fat right after rod removal, making it more hollow and perhaps less rigid for a few months until it fills in again.

Is it worth doing the removal in 2 stages? (1) Removing the bottom screws in the first surgery to apply marginally more load on the bone and allow it to harden under this load (2) Removing the other screws and the rods a few months later.

Another 2-staged removal: Remove the nail/screws from one leg first, restrict weight bearing to a minimum on that side, then remove the other nail later.

Personally, I don't mind going into surgery multiple times, I just prefer not to be in constant fear of one (or both) of my femurs snapping unexpectedly.

For all the technology that's been developed, it's surprising that there's no conclusive/quantitative way to tell if a bone has truly hardened or if the x-rays are just misleading  Why does fracture occur after nail removal 1 year post-op?.

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Posted on Oct 13, 2021, 7:59 pm
#3

Quote from: Activatedxx on October 13, 2021, 06:34:59 AMThat’s dumb as it will cost exponentially more and having surgery is not easy on the mind and body


Definitely is more taxing on the body/mind, but would you rather have 2 planned (and rather simple) surgeries, or one surgery and a higher risk of unexpected fracture (which could lead to a major surgery, trauma and more recovery time)?

It would cost twice as more, not exponentially more.

Also it is not dumb, Dr. Assayag even suggested this option in one of his videos. I'm not saying everyone should, I'm weighing the pros and cons as objectively as possible.

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