Limb Lengthening Forum

Limb Lengthening Surgery => Limb Lengthening Discussions => Topic started by: Highest on September 13, 2020, 08:39:53 AM

Title: Internal vs External methods for femurs
Post by: Highest on September 13, 2020, 08:39:53 AM

Read through alot of threads where people were advising to avoid external femurs at all costs. Some recent diaries doing monorail on femurs made me question this.

How much worse is externals for femurs than internal nails if you are using monorails? Are there any benefits to externals for femurs?

Title: Re: Internal vs External methods for femurs
Post by: Michael J. Assayag, MD on September 13, 2020, 12:45:59 PM

one should always be careful about the “always” and “nevers”

LON over a nail is not easy from a PT standpoint. You have to power through the pain and cramping of pins going through the lateral thigh muscles. It is doable, just much less pleasant.

Also, you have to make sure your surgeon knows how to manage deformities created by lengthening with an external fixayor at the distal femur.

I hope this helps!

Title: Re: Internal vs External methods for femurs
Post by: Hagane on September 13, 2020, 07:50:31 PM

Quote from: Michael J. Assayag, MD on September 13, 2020, 12:45:59 PM

one should always be careful about the “always” and “nevers”

haha thats the must important advise for when i was doing my exams, the always/never answer are always wrong!