leg lengthening/shortening…

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epiphysiodesis, epiphyseal arrest, correction of unequal bone length, bone lengthening, bone shortening, femoral lengthening, femoral shortening, leg lengthening, shortening procedures, surgical treatments, children, legs of unequal lengths, involving differences of 1 inch, lengthen an abnormally short leg, shorten an abnormally long leg, limit growth, a normal leg, a short leg to grow to a matching length, bone lengthening, lengthening an abnormally short leg recommended, children whose bones, still growing, treatments involves several surgical procedures, a lengthy convalescence period, considerable risks, but it, add up to 6 inches of length to a leg, child is under general anesthesia, bone to be lengthened is cut, metal pins, screws, inserted, the skin, bone, pins, below the cut, in the bone, skin incision is stitched closed, a metal device, some sort of external frame, attached, pins, in the bone, used later to gradually pull the cut bone apart, creating a space between the ends, the cut bone, fill in, new bone, lengthening device is used very gradually to ensure adequate filling, the bone, stretching, the soft tissues, leg has reached the desired length, has healed, after several months, another surgical procedure, remove the pins, the pins, screws, inserted, the skin, bone, special care, the pin sites is important, prevent infection, the blood vessels, muscles, skin, stretched, each lengthening, careful, frequent checking, the skin color, temperature, sensation, the foot, toes is necessary, prevent circulatory, muscular, nerve damage, bone shortening, shortening a longer leg recommended, children whose bones, no longer growing, technically complicated surgery, produce a very precise degree of correction, child is under general anesthesia, bone to be shortened is cut, a section of bone is removed, ends, the cut bone, joined, a metal plate, screws, a nail down the center, the bone, across the bone incision, hold it in place, healing, the blood vessels, muscles, skin, involved, careful, frequent checking, the skin color, temperature, sensation, the foot, toes is necessary, prevent circulatory, muscular, nerve damage, bone growth restriction, bone growth takes place, growth plates, physes, at each end of long bones, restricting bone growth recommended, children whose bones, still growing, restrict the growth, a longer bone, the shorter bone to continue to grow to match its length, child is under general anesthesia, surgeons make an incision over the growth plate, end, the bone, in the longer leg, destroying the growth plate by scraping, drilling it, epiphysiodesis, physeal arrest, restrict further growth at that growth plate, proper timing of this surgical treatment is important to assure good results, removal of implanted metal devices, metal pins, screws, staples, plates, stabilize bone, healing, most orthopedic surgeons prefer to wait several months to a year, removing any large metal implants, removal of implanted devices, another surgical procedure using general anesthesia, surgical treatment recommended, severe unequal leg lengths, poliomyelitis, cerebral palsy, weak, atrophied, muscles, short, tight, spastic, muscles, deformities, prevent normal leg growth, hip diseases legg-perthes disease, previous injuries, bone fractures, stimulate, excessive bone growth, birth defects, congenital deformities, bones, joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, leg lengthening, large differences, than 5 cm, leg shortening, restricting, smaller differences, less than 5 cm, lengthening is also considered more often, the patient is short to begin, risks, anesthesia, reactions to medications, problems breathing, surgery, bleeding, infection, additional risks, bone infection, osteomyelitis, injury to blood vessels, poor bone healing, epiphysiodesis, bone growth restriction, successful, performed, correct time, in the growth period, though it, an undesirable short stature, bone shortening, achieve more precise correction than epiphysiodesis, much longer convalescence, bone lengthening is completely successful only 40%, the time, has a much higher rate of complications, bone growth restriction, hospitalization of up to a week is common, a cast, on the leg, 4 weeks, healing is complete in 8, 12 weeks, at which time full activities, resumed, bone shortening, 3 weeks of hospitalization, bedrest is usual, a cast, on the leg, 4 weeks, muscle weakness is common, muscle-strengthening exercises, started soon after surgery, crutches, 8 weeks, children, require 6, 12 months to regain normal knee control, function, intramedullary, inside the bone, rod is removed at 1 year, bone lengthening, hospitalization lasts a week, longer, time that the lengthening device is in use depends on the amount, lengthening to be achieved, intensive physical therapy is required to maintain normal range of motion, frequent visits, necessary to adjust the lengthening device, meticulous care, the pins holding the device is essential, prevent infection, healing time, the bone is determined by the amount, lengthening, each centimeter of lengthening, 36 days of healing is allotted, following removal, the device, restricted, several weeks, healing, the holes, in the bone, pins were, minimizes the risk of breaking the bone, holes, healing has occurred.