Dr. Axel Becker is a specialist in leg lengthening, a specialist in plastic, aesthetic and reconstructive surgery, a specialist in orthopedics and trauma surgery and carries out cosmetic leg lengthening in his special clinic in Freiburg. For this purpose – only here – a minimally invasive leg lengthening method BETZBONE®, developed by him and unique in the world, is used.

Here you will find out interesting facts about leg lengthening and well-founded, basic information from the doctor and specialist for cosmetic leg lengthening.

Anyone who would like to find out more about cosmetic leg lengthening at the Freiburg specialist clinic BECKER BETZ INSTITUTE should know basic facts about leg lengthening. We always notice that people who have never looked into the subject of leg lengthening in more detail often assume completely incorrect facts. Caused by adventurous false reports on various platforms.

In this blog post we will address the topic of how leg lengthening works and dispel any myths that are circulating.

Facts about leg lengthening

How exactly does leg lengthening work and what are definitely false statements when it comes to leg lengthening? What we have to hear again and again: “When leg lengthening, the patient’s bones are broken. Not just once, but again and again in order to lengthen the bone.

You guessed it? This is completely wrong, in short: nonsense. We will never, at any time, break cooking for leg lengthening.

This is what happens when a leg is lengthened

Let’s take the example of an extension in the thigh area. What is correct is that the bone is severed. It doesn’t work without this intervention. Now comes the fundamentally important part: If you cut through a bone, you will find a chewing gum-like substance called callus between the ends of the bone. This substance ossifies again after a certain time. And it is precisely this substance – the callus – that is what we are talking about here.

When we do a leg extension, we pull this chewing gum-like substance apart slowly and at a precisely defined speed. Hence the term “callus distraction.” A highly complex and globally unique implant developed by us, the BETZBONE® extension nail, is used for callus distraction. This nail remains in the severed bone for a certain time and serves to lengthen and at the same time stabilize the bone.

By the way: The patient decides how much extension is extended. With the BETZBONE® extension nail, a maximum extension of approx. 10 centimeters is possible.

The speed at which the substance between the bone ends (callus) is pulled apart is fundamentally important for the leg lengthening process.

Why is that? Here comes the answer:

If lengthened too quickly, there is a risk that the chewing gum-like substance between the ends of the bones will tear. If lengthening is done too slowly, there is a risk that new (solid) bone material will form from the chewing gum-like substance – that the substance, the callus, will ossify and movement/lengthening will no longer be possible.

Very specifically: What extension speed are we talking about when lengthening the leg, Dr. Becker?

We recommend a maximum lengthening of one millimeter per day and a minimum lengthening of half a millimeter per day.

This extension speed applies to thigh extension only. With lower leg lengthening, the speed of extension is even slower. We’re talking a maximum of half a millimeter per day in the lower leg area.

This contradicts the statement you often hear that says the leg lengthening process should be finished “as quickly as possible.” How can that be?

This statement usually refers to leg lengthening with an external leg lengthening mechanism, a so-called fixator/ring fixator. An apparatus with many wires, screws and rods that are guided from the outside through the skin, legs and soft tissue to the bone. You may be familiar with this massive and impressive device from complicated bone fractures. And of pictures that show patients lying immobile in a hospital bed or sitting in a wheelchair – with an apparatus on their upper or lower leg – the ring fixator. These fixators are always in contact with the skin and always immobilize patients. Running is not possible. You can sit in a wheelchair or lie in bed. It is precisely these facts that pose great risks of infections, thrombosis and embolism. This is the reason why you want to keep the leg lengthening process with external fixators as short as possible. However, this leg lengthening method has absolutely nothing to do with our method at the BECKER BETZ INSTITUTE.

NOTE: This described external leg lengthening method using an external fixator has nothing to do with leg lengthening in our Freiburg special clinic. Our concept, the BECKER BETZ INSTITUTE concept, is completely different, namely:

Our leg lengthening are always minimally invasive procedures. And we use an internal leg extension system. We have developed and perfected a nail for this: BETZBONE®. This nail is unique in the world. No other extension system offers as many advantages for leg lengthening patients as the BETZBONE® extension nail. Our implant is, among other things, fully weight-bearing. This means our patients can stand up and walk immediately after leg lengthening surgery. And patients can lengthen this nail independently using a click mechanism and thus also the callus.

Our principle: The slower the lengthening, the safer the entire leg lengthening process. Because not only the callus and the bone have to be lengthened, but also soft tissue structures, tissue and muscles. The slower the lengthening, the more time surrounding structures such as ligaments, muscles and tissue have to grow with it.

Leg lengthening with the BETZBONE® extension technology is the most advanced in the world. And is only used in the Freiburg special clinic by Dr. A. Becker carried out.

So if you are looking for a leg lengthening method with the gentlest possible lengthening process, you should aim for a lengthening range of approximately half a millimeter to one millimeter per day.

Of course, this leg lengthening process, which is as gentle as possible, takes longer. But it brings invaluable benefits for patients:

Patients are mobile, can walk, manage everyday life, be employed and the body is not overstressed with insane muscle tension. Because one must assume that the muscular and soft tissue apparatus is no faster than about half a millimeter per day anyway. That was briefly the leg lengthening principle of the Freiburg specialist clinic for cosmetic, aesthetic leg lengthening.

If you would like to know more about this, please make an appointment at the special clinic for leg lengthening in Freiburg in Breisgau.