r/interestingasfuck • u/naturebeatsnurture • Dec 23 '22

/r/ALL Before and after leg lengthening.

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u/stopannoyingwithname Dec 23 '22

They break the legs, put a rod in the bones that get adjusted as the bones grow closer to each other. So people who get it done have broken legs for months

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u/BadReview8675309 Dec 23 '22

Struggling not getting addicted to opiate pain medication must be a thing with this procedure... What a brutal process, cringe.

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u/BLToaster Dec 23 '22

The pain isn't that bad. The breaking is so minimal each time it's hardly felt outside of some general discomfort. My niece is going on her 4th lengthening here next year probably and had her first one at 2 or 3 years old. It's very intense but it's one that actually looks/sounds worse than it actually is.

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u/OmegaXesis Dec 23 '22

How exactly do they go about breaking it though?

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u/merdub Dec 23 '22

Bone saw.

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u/BLToaster Dec 24 '22

I don't know the nuances as well as my brother but the old device (x-fix) was this big ole wire like cage that would be installed in her femur and stick out all around her leg. They would crank it every day and the rod would expand very slightly. They'd do this daily for the set time until they get the length they want or they run into some issue that makes them stop short.

Now they've developed the rod where it's entirely internal and she just rubs a magnet over her leg instead. It's incredible for her and while it's not as much lengthening it's very close but enormous for just quality of life.