How does leg lengthening surgery work?

To extend the leg, the patient has to undergo surgery to cut the bone, using tools to stretch the bone about 1 mm / day.

At the Central Military Hospital 108 (Hanoi), Assoc.Prof. Dr. Le Van Doan, Director of Orthopedic Trauma Institute, and his colleagues performed hundreds of stretching cases.

In it, a patient was extended legs 16 cm to not deviate from the other leg. Many patients with a very low height are pulled by an additional 7-10 cm on both legs.

According to this expert, this is the only method that can improve height in adulthood. Many people think that they want to extend their right foot to foreign countries. However, Assoc. Prof. Doan said that it is possible to implement this technique in Vietnam. To have a new height, patients have to go through the process throughout the year.

To begin the process of stretching the legs, the patient must undergo a 3-step surgery: Nailing, installing a fixed frame on the lower leg and cutting the bone.(Photo: BSCC).

The process of performing stretches the legs

Before deciding on surgery, the doctor should conduct a clinical examination of the patient to thoroughly understand the medical history, including reproduction, physical development in adolescence, the time of puberty, and a history of puberty. hormones of childhood illness, genetic diseases . The assessment of the psychological condition of the patient to designate the lengthening of leg height is also very important.

After that, the patient is given subclinical and intensive tests to rule out bone and other systemic diseases with contraindications to prolonged limb.

At the beginning of the leg-extended surgery, the patient is anesthetized, or spinal anesthetized and steps into the operation through 3 steps: nailing, installing a fixed frame on the lower leg, and cutting the bone.

Assoc. Prof. Doan said that after surgery, the patient was given antibiotics, analgesic, reduced pain, high foot level for 5 days and changed the bandage every other day.

1. After 3 to 5 days, the patient gently exercises passive movement of the knee and ankles, and wears feet to the feet to rest and sleep to prevent short-heel contractions.
2. 7-10 days later , the doctor will stretch the frame and instruct the patient to operate the frame to stretch the fracture at a rate of 1 mm / day, divided evenly in 3 times.
3. 5 days later , if the bone resection is well stretched, the person who extends the leg will be discharged from the hospital, outpatient treatment, follow the instructions themselves, about 1 mm / day. Every month, patients are examined clinically and assessed changes in bone mass by X-ray.

During that time, patients started to practice compressing part of their body weight when standing or walking on crutches in a walker.

When full length, the patient was admitted to the hospital and was fastened with 2 peripheral screws of the internal marrow nail and removed the external fixation frame. Hospitalization period is about 3-5 days.

Released from the hospital, the patient continued to practice walking with the help of a frame or crutches, and the compression of the spleen increased and was completely compressed when there was a bridging bone in the two bones on X-ray film. Regular check-ups every 2 months until the bones heal firmly. They usually have to stay home for a year to complete the entire process.

Does not affect longevity

According to Assoc. Prof. Doan, in principle, to cut the bone, then use the tool to pull the bone out, when stretching the 2 bones gradually apart, at first creating a space, the periosteum is the place where the bone will regenerate. born into new bone.

However, depending on the location and the age of each person, the speed of regeneration is fast or slow. The younger the ability to regenerate as quickly as possible, but on average, for the bones to recover enough to be as strong and strong as healthy bones, 1 cm usually takes 35-40 days from the time of the start of the pulling.

'When you relax by 1 mm, the cells of the bones, skin, muscles, tendons, blood vessels of the nerve regenerate in the same way. The purpose of such a slow-speed stretching is to compensate for bone, skin, muscle and nerve blood cells' , explains Assoc.

This expert noted this was a complex technique. If the skill of the doctor is not good, complications may occur.

'Diseases during surgery may also occur, such as inadequate bone cutting, broken bones, or damaging blood and nerves. Especially complications of infection, leaving very serious consequences. People who have osteoporosis also consider failure. They may also experience complications such as slow healing of bones, unhealthy bone, strong bones, etc. '', Assoc.

Experts also said that prolonged leg surgery does not affect the life of the person performing as many people think. However, after stretching, the softwares (muscle tendons, muscles, nerves, blood vessels, ligaments) cannot respond to the new situation right away. Therefore, patients need to rehabilitate for a period of time, fast or slow depending on each person and the extent of prolongation.

When the musculoskeletal joints have stabilized, exercised well, the limbs are completely and completely healthy, the patients can run, jump, kick, and climb normally.