Previously I had heard of limb lengthening operations that involved repeatedly breaking, stretching and reseparating bones. Extremely painful and debilitating, prone to infection.

I’ve only just heard of a method that has been in use around a decade, which involves inserting a titanium rod inside the bone without fracturing it, and slowly extending in magnetically so that the bone and muscle grow along with it.

Doctors surgically insert a titanium rod inside the thigh or shin bone, or both. The rod contains a small magnetic motor and gear box that is used to slowly lengthen the rod. It’s powered by a hand-held magnetic field generator placed atop the skin at the site of the magnet four times a day for about a minute.

Like the external fixator, when the bone is pulled apart — at a rate of about a millimeter a day — tissue and eventually new bone fills the gaps. The procedure can stretch each part of a limb about three inches. A bone typically takes at least two months to lengthen and three months to solidify. The rod is removed about a year later.

https://www.baltimoresun.com/health/bs-hs-limb-lengthening-20140521-story.html

Impressive.

dv said:

Previously I had heard of limb lengthening operations that involved repeatedly breaking, stretching and reseparating bones. Extremely painful and debilitating, prone to infection.

I’ve only just heard of a method that has been in use around a decade, which involves inserting a titanium rod inside the bone without fracturing it, and slowly extending in magnetically so that the bone and muscle grow along with it.

Doctors surgically insert a titanium rod inside the thigh or shin bone, or both. The rod contains a small magnetic motor and gear box that is used to slowly lengthen the rod. It’s powered by a hand-held magnetic field generator placed atop the skin at the site of the magnet four times a day for about a minute.

Like the external fixator, when the bone is pulled apart — at a rate of about a millimeter a day — tissue and eventually new bone fills the gaps. The procedure can stretch each part of a limb about three inches. A bone typically takes at least two months to lengthen and three months to solidify. The rod is removed about a year later.

https://www.baltimoresun.com/health/bs-hs-limb-lengthening-20140521-story.html

I wonder why they can’t just reactivate the epiphysial plates?

Bubblecar said:

Impressive.

Yes and the scars we can see aren’t overly bad either

Rule 303 said:

dv said:

Previously I had heard of limb lengthening operations that involved repeatedly breaking, stretching and reseparating bones. Extremely painful and debilitating, prone to infection.

I’ve only just heard of a method that has been in use around a decade, which involves inserting a titanium rod inside the bone without fracturing it, and slowly extending in magnetically so that the bone and muscle grow along with it.

Doctors surgically insert a titanium rod inside the thigh or shin bone, or both. The rod contains a small magnetic motor and gear box that is used to slowly lengthen the rod. It’s powered by a hand-held magnetic field generator placed atop the skin at the site of the magnet four times a day for about a minute.

Like the external fixator, when the bone is pulled apart — at a rate of about a millimeter a day — tissue and eventually new bone fills the gaps. The procedure can stretch each part of a limb about three inches. A bone typically takes at least two months to lengthen and three months to solidify. The rod is removed about a year later.

https://www.baltimoresun.com/health/bs-hs-limb-lengthening-20140521-story.html

I wonder why they can’t just reactivate the epiphysial plates?

How?

dv said:

Rule 303 said:

dv said:

Previously I had heard of limb lengthening operations that involved repeatedly breaking, stretching and reseparating bones. Extremely painful and debilitating, prone to infection.

I’ve only just heard of a method that has been in use around a decade, which involves inserting a titanium rod inside the bone without fracturing it, and slowly extending in magnetically so that the bone and muscle grow along with it.

Doctors surgically insert a titanium rod inside the thigh or shin bone, or both. The rod contains a small magnetic motor and gear box that is used to slowly lengthen the rod. It’s powered by a hand-held magnetic field generator placed atop the skin at the site of the magnet four times a day for about a minute.

Like the external fixator, when the bone is pulled apart — at a rate of about a millimeter a day — tissue and eventually new bone fills the gaps. The procedure can stretch each part of a limb about three inches. A bone typically takes at least two months to lengthen and three months to solidify. The rod is removed about a year later.

https://www.baltimoresun.com/health/bs-hs-limb-lengthening-20140521-story.html

I wonder why they can’t just reactivate the epiphysial plates?

How?

I don’t know.

Rule 303 said:

dv said:

Rule 303 said:

I wonder why they can’t just reactivate the epiphysial plates?

How?

I don’t know.

A laser to resurface the closed over plates, might damage them though

It’s amazing the lengths that people will go to.

Spiny Norman said:

It’s amazing the lengths that people will go to.

Oh stop it, ya hyperepiphyseal mutant.

Spiny Norman said:

It’s amazing the lengths that people will go to.

Lol

dv said:

Spiny Norman said:

It’s amazing the lengths that people will go to.

Lol

I reckon that’s stretching it a bit.