Posted by DarrenG
on November 10, 2009
After an aborted trip to see the consultant two weeks ago (tuned up only to discover he had been called away) we finally saw him last Tuesday.
The good news is the bone has now connected and begun to knit and fill in the gap. I am now booked to return on 8th December and if all is going well then, they will start undoing the tension on the frame to transfer some of the weight through the new bone rather than the frame.
If that goes to plan then normally the frame is removed a month later!
Given some of the stories I have heard from others with ilizarov frames, this has gone very well. We were told at the outset that it would be 4mths at the very least but typically 6mths – 1 year so if it comes off in January it will be a shade under 6mths.
I’ve also made some huge improvements at home, I’ve thrown away the crutches and can now get around using a walking stick. I can walk without but it is there as a backup as balance is an issue with a heavy frame on one leg and it locked straight.
So that was great news, my wife and I returned home with huge smiles on our faces at the good news!
Posted by DarrenG
on October 07, 2009
On Tuesday I finally saw my consultant to check on the length of my leg and bone growth.
I was delighted to be told that the leg was physically at the right length (+25mm) now and I would therefore not need to continue with the daily nut turning spanner exercise. The bone however has not quite met growth expectations having grown only about 15mm since the surgical fracture.
Not unusual I was told and so I am am now waiting for it to grow to close the gap of approximately 1cm. To that end I have been told to move to using one crutch only and fully weight bear on the right leg, this encourages bone growth.
I’ve started doing just that today but it’s incredibly hard work. Two factors being the mental block that tells you not to put all your weight on the leg and the other being the leg muscles, unused to weight, which scream at you every time you apply pressure and trigger the mental process that questions whether you should be doing this at all!
I’ve a review in three weeks and if I can help speed up the bone growth by walking then walk I shall, that and the gallons of milk, multi-vitamins and orange juice I’m being fed should do the job!
Posted by DarrenG
on September 03, 2009
Yesterday I had my appointment with the Consultant to start the leg ‘distraction’ phase or leg ‘lengthening’ as we might better know it.
It’s very simple. The middle of the frame has two rings held together with four long threaded bolts and nuts. The nuts have a special four sided head marked with 1 to four dots. Four times a day I have to grab my two 10mm spanners, undo the lock nut, turn the special nut one quarter turn and then lock it off. Then repeat for the other three. This whole process is repeated every 4hrs.
In theory each full turn equates to 1mm of lengthening. The idea being that the bone ends are kept just far enough apart that they continue to grow towards each other but not so far apart that the bone gives up the battle and of course not so close that they actually knit. Over time new bone is grown and the femur is lengthened.
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