Is Limb Lengthening Safe?
Short answer
Limb lengthening is an established orthopedic procedure, but it is major surgery with real risks. Known risks include infection, joint stiffness, nerve irritation, slow bone healing and implant problems. Safety depends above all on staying within safe limits (up to 8 cm in the femur and 6 cm in the tibia), lengthening at about 1 mm a day, regular X-rays and daily physiotherapy. At our clinic the overall complication rate is about 1%.
What decides whether limb lengthening is safe
No surgery is free of risk. What makes limb lengthening safer is how it is planned and followed: the experience of the surgical team, staying within safe limits for each bone, a controlled lengthening speed, close monitoring with X-rays, daily physiotherapy, and a patient who is healthy, does not smoke and follows the programme. See How does limb lengthening work?.
The known risks
• Infection, as with any surgery; wound care and hygiene reduce the risk.
• Joint stiffness and muscle tightness, because the soft tissues have to stretch with the bone.
• Nerve irritation, if the tissues are stretched too fast or too far.
• Slow or absent bone healing (non-union), or new bone that hardens too early (premature consolidation).
• Implant problems: rarely, a nail can break or stop working.
Every known risk is explained before surgery. Read the full list in Complications of limb lengthening and Can limb lengthening fail?.
How we reduce the risks
• Safe limits: up to 8 cm in the femur, up to 6 cm in the tibia, and 12–14 cm in total with both bones.
• A controlled speed of about 1 mm a day after a latency phase of 5 to 10 days.
• Check-ups and X-rays every 1 to 2 weeks during lengthening, so the surgeon can adjust the speed.
• Physiotherapy 6 days a week (1 hour, onsite) during your stay, and free, unlimited remote follow-up afterwards.
• A full health review before surgery, including smoking, conditions such as diabetes and, where needed, a bone density (DEXA) scan.
Is one method safer than another?
LON, PRECICE and FITBONE are all established methods, and every method has risks. LON combines an internal nail with a temporary external frame; PRECICE and FITBONE are fully internal nails. The surgeon recommends the method after examining you. See Which method should you choose? and internal vs external lengthening. STRYDE is no longer available (see What happened to STRYDE?).
Surgeon, hospital and licence
Lengthening Turkey Height Solutions is a licensed health tourism provider (Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Health certificate ST-091). Surgeries are performed at BHT Clinic İstanbul Tema Hastanesi by orthopedic surgeon Op. Dr. Fatih Arslanoğlu, Assistant Professor of Orthopedics and Traumatology. Our clinic has performed 1,000+ limb lengthening surgeries. See Op. Dr. Fatih Arslanoğlu and Is Turkey safe for limb lengthening?.
If a complication happens
Most problems are found early on X-rays and can be managed by adjusting the speed, changing the physiotherapy, or with an additional procedure. Every patient has the basic complication insurance required for health tourists, and we cover complications related to our surgery during the first 3 months while you are under our care. Known natural risks of lengthening are explained in Complication cover.
Your part in a safe recovery
• Do not smoke: smoking slows bone healing.
• Follow the physiotherapy programme to protect your joints.
• Put only as much weight on the leg as the team allows.
• Attend every X-ray check.
Warning signs to report quickly
• New or increasing pain, redness, warmth or discharge at a wound or pin site.
• Fever.
• Numbness, tingling or weakness in the foot.
• Loss of joint movement despite physiotherapy.
Who should not have cosmetic limb lengthening
Cosmetic lengthening is done only after the growth plates have closed, usually from about 18. There is no strict upper age limit, but we do not recommend cosmetic lengthening over 60, and smoking and conditions such as diabetes affect bone healing. See Am I a candidate? and age limit.
The long-term outlook
Once the new bone has consolidated, the gained length is permanent. Most patients walk without crutches after about 4 to 6 months and return to sports after about 9 to 12 months, after X-ray clearance. See the recovery timeline.
How to judge a clinic's safety
Ask who will operate, in which hospital, with which implant, how often you will have X-rays, and what happens if there is a complication. Get the answers in writing. See questions to ask your surgeon and our medical review policy.
Talk to our surgeon
Send your height, goal and health history on WhatsApp (+90 533 016 45 62) for a free assessment with our surgeon.
FAQ
Is limb lengthening safe?
It is an established orthopedic procedure, but major surgery with real risks. Staying within safe limits, lengthening at about 1 mm a day, regular X-rays and physiotherapy make it safer.
What is the complication rate?
At our clinic the overall complication rate is about 1%.
What are the main risks?
Infection, joint stiffness, nerve irritation, slow or absent bone healing, and implant problems.
Is LON safer than PRECICE or FITBONE?
All three are established methods and every method has risks. The surgeon recommends the method after examining you.
How much lengthening is safe?
Up to 8 cm in the femur, up to 6 cm in the tibia, and 12–14 cm in total with both bones.
Are complications covered?
We cover complications related to our surgery during the first 3 months while you are under our care. Known natural risks of lengthening are not covered. See Complication cover.
Is the result permanent?
Yes. Once the new bone has consolidated, the gained length is permanent.
Related pages
How Does Limb Lengthening Work?
Limb Lengthening Complications
Which Method Should You Choose?
Internal vs External Limb Lengthening
See also: How to Spot an Unsafe Clinic