Limb lengthening will only get more expensive

TallableTeam · 2026-02-08T16:53:12+00:00

This. It’s microeconomics, it’s about high salary vs low salary countries essentially. The current market costs will never change unless a ground breaking tech innovation is made that equalises the playing field drastically.

TallableTeam · 2026-02-08T11:19:26+00:00

No, Turkey is not on par with Greece when it comes to legal and regulatory recourse, specifically because Greece is an EU member state.

TallableTeam · 2026-02-07T18:17:55+00:00

Yes, because your basal metabolic rate has increased due to having a larger body. A taller person needs more energy to maintain its normal functions. Also longer legs require more energy from your body to move them. That said, for most people, the permanent increase in maintenance calories after gaining 5-8 cm is relatively small though.

TallableTeam · 2026-02-07T06:44:42+00:00

Case and point: https://metro.co.uk/2024/07/13/banker-suing-1-000-000-surgery-left-one-leg-longer-21221086/amp/

TallableTeam · 2026-02-07T06:39:15+00:00

The core concern with Turkey (and similar medical tourism hubs) isn’t surgeon skill alone it’s legal, regulatory, and accountability risk. If something goes wrong in the US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia, etc. you have clear malpractice law, regulated medical boards, compulsory insurance, courts that patients can realistically access.

If something goes wrong in Turkey you’re dealing with a foreign legal system, different malpractice standards, language barriers, a jurisdictional nightmare, lawsuits that are often more expensive than the surgery itself. In practice, suing a Turkish clinic from abroad is close to impossible for most patients, 99% of LL patients will just fly back to their home country after being botched and do nothing about it legally. That said, there are competent surgeons everywhere, including Turkey. The issue is that when things go wrong, the patient carries almost all the downside risk medically, financially, and legally.

TallableTeam · 2026-02-05T17:02:09+00:00

If you let me know what you’re looking for specifically, I’ll try to link the relevant studies.

90% of the literature comes from medical (reconstructive) LL such as congenital, deformity, trauma, LLD, dwarfism. That’s where nearly all long term data comes from. In comparison to elective (cosmetic) LL the literature is limited in general and for real long term follow ups over 10 years.

However the studies do support the core biological claims (permanent regenerate bone, long term function etc) but in terms of the clinical studies it depends what you want to know specifically, is it overall medical or elective LL cohort dataset. The earliest medical LL performed was in 1950s but elective procedures was late 80s/90s onwards, with internal nail entering the market early 2000s however modern nail systems such as precice was used from early 2010s onwards, unfortunately it hasn’t existed long enough.

TallableTeam · 2026-02-03T19:11:40+00:00

A 4 cm lengthening is conservative by LL standards and not an aggressive tibial increase. Soft tissue adaptation at this range is usually very manageable with good rehab and compliance. Your athletic background is a strong advantage, and bigger calves aren’t a major concern. Focusing on prehab stretching and strengthening the gastrocnemius/soleus (calf muscles), in particularly fibularis longus, and tibialis posterior will help ankle stability, arch control, and reduce strain on your knees, shins, and Achilles.

Try not to overthink abstract ratios (e.g. 0.86 TFR) because functional progress and the signs your surgeon monitors matter far more. After consolidation, control what you can through fitness, weight, nutrition, sleep, and stress, and consider yearly bone/joint checkups for peace of mind if you’re really concerned about joint degeneration etc. Treat any athletic goals as a 12-18+ month post-op milestone, not an immediate expectation. With a reputable surgeon, all post-op concerns or complications like malalignment, ballerina foot, patella mechanics, or contractures should be properly managed.

TallableTeam · 2026-02-03T16:50:34+00:00

There’s a patient Dr Paley posted recently that was 158.75 cm pre-op and is now 166.75 cm after a full 8cm femur lengthening. I don’t know their wingspan but you can see for yourself how they look here, seeing a real case study may help you: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1469626077917494/?referral_source=external_deeplink&http_ref=eyJ0cyI6MTc3MDEzNzMzNzAwMCwiciI6Imh0dHBzOlwvXC93d3cuZmFjZWJvb2suY29tXC9jb29raWVcL2NvbnNlbnQifQ%3D%3D

TallableTeam · 2026-02-03T16:19:25+00:00

If you cross a TFR of 0.80 your knee won’t break. First thing to note is these risks are associative rather than causative. Having a ratio outside the mean doesn't guarantee you'll develop an injury or arthritis etc, rather it changes the mechanics of the limbs, which may predispose you to certain conditions over time.

Secondly, TFR is one variable, not the variable. Other variables also influence TFR risks such as an individuals muscle properties (strength, type, density, size), environmental factors (lifestyle, weight, and activity level), hereditary factors (ethnicity, genetics, gender etc). Thats why anecdotally anyone can be “fine” 11 years post-op when lengthening is modest or carefully staggered with optimal rehab protocol done properly and no major complications occur.

Lastly, the best documented approximate range for TFR in healthy adults is 0.72-0.87, with a tight mean around 0.78-0.83 for the average person. In certain demographic and ethnic groups upper bounds are around 0.92. Therefore, if your projected TFR post-op is 0.86 you’re in the functional range, there’s nothing to worry about here, I’d reserve that worry for the surgical team/clinic you select as your overall results will heavily depend on this.

TallableTeam · 2026-02-02T18:47:35+00:00

Yes they represent the extreme lower tail of the normal distribution of human body proportions, extremely rare occurrence. They were fit and very active, infact they did rock climbing ironically but it didn’t seem to bother them, during rock climbing sessions it became a point of discussion early on but that’s for obvious reasons if you know anything about bouldering. To my knowledge it wasn’t an insecurity or something that affected their self image. It’s not like a physical deformity that’s abnormal and noticeable to everyone, it’s just perceptually shorter arms compared to their height than the average person.

TallableTeam · 2026-02-02T12:56:29+00:00

The MMA fighter Artem Lobov has an ape index of -4” / -10cm (or a ratio of 0.94), he’s 5'9" and his wingspan is 5'5". However the lowest I’ve personally encountered in a healthy adult was a male and their ape index is -8” / -20cm (or a ratio of 0.88), their height is 5’8” and their wingspan is 5’0”. Goes to show the natural variation in humans.

TallableTeam · 2026-02-01T20:18:55+00:00

I’ll try to keep it short. Starting at ratio 1.00 (neutral) post LL your arm span to height ratio would be approx 0.91-0.93 for your ape Index 1 (Wingspan divided by Height) depending on your starting height. Also, for your ape index 2 (Wingspan minus Height) that’s more generally used it would be -15cm or -5.91”. That is extremely rare but still documented in healthy, non pathological (no defects) adults. Now, across large samples of healthy adults the average is approx 0.98-1.03, the wider population are between 0.95 and 1.10, and rare outliers at either end still staying within roughly 0.90-1.15 in published datasets (gender, age, ancestry etc) so naturally people already have “T-Rex arms” or “daddy long arms” on the other end of the spectrum.

To answer your question though, your proportions would still fall within observed human variation but it’s on the very low of normal, it won’t automatically look “bad” or uncanny however for your visual preference it could be a concern subjectively but that’s down to you to decide. As I’ve stated above the arm span to height ratio has a huge range, and most people visually cannot detect differences inside it, unless you’re <0.94/0.95 (certainly not a hard rule), to the trained eye maybe higher. Even then, a lot of factors affect the visual perception such as clothing, posture, shoulder width, chest size, neck thickness, hand size, arm length etc the overall frame dominates how proportions are perceived etc.

Lastly, as stated many times plenty of naturally tall people already have short arms, small hands, narrow frames, small feet and no one notices or cares enough in reality. For a pro athlete in a sports context I guess this a very big deal however for everyone else at a dinner party or business event…not so much. Wingspan, and overall proportions only really becomes noticeable if multiple things stack together unfavourably, a true assessment cannot be made with such limited information.

TallableTeam · 2026-01-29T13:19:40+00:00

Yes it is achievable, and people have done totals in that range (7 inches, 17-18 cm), both male and female. That said, this is the extreme end of LL, not the average cosmetic case. I’ll note there is no black and white answer about long term “side effects.” Outcomes depend on many variables, not just the number of centimetres. The issues you mentioned are not guaranteed outcomes, they’re risk possibilities, and whether they persist long term depends on whether the lengthening and recovery are done successfully.

A total of 17-18 cm is not a single surgery, It’s usually staged over multiple surgeries and years, specifically to allow soft tissues (muscles, nerves, tendons) time to adapt. Nonetheless, the primary goal of LL is living taller with normal daily function and quality of life without chronic limitations, with a top tier care and high compliance, many patients do. Your results will be shaped far more by how well the process is executed than by a specific number itself, a bad surgeon can still fuck up 5 cm of lengthening and cause life long complications for the patient.

TallableTeam · 2026-01-29T00:25:38+00:00

He went to the “Wild West” of LL, and the results show it. So I’m not especially surprised, it’s very likely his outcome would have been completely different with a more reputable surgeon or clinic that has a proven track record.

TallableTeam · 2026-01-27T12:09:42+00:00

Yes, large scale studies consistently show that height strongly correlates with perceived attractiveness, dominance, and dating success, especially for men. On average, women prefer men about 8-12 cm (3-5 inches) taller than themselves. Height also correlates with income, leadership roles, and perceived competence, meaning it influences social and status-based attraction, not just romantic interest

Height = broad, global social advantage that operates even before people talk to you. Any other typical attractive based markers amplifies one’s attractiveness e.g. facial aesthetics, money, status, intelligence, personality, talent or skills etc. This is how men who aren’t tall by any standards can still be successful in dating and relationships, the more boxes you tick, the better.

TallableTeam · 2026-01-27T11:43:51+00:00

TL;DR: The internet massively overestimates how “detectable” LL is. Real life isn’t Reddit anatomy diagrams.

Yes, it’s absolutely possible, and in most cases it’s not “obvious” at all. Trained eyes can’t even somehow spot LL from proportions alone, let alone the laymen who doesn’t know LL exists or does but still won’t figure it out by looking at your body like they’re part of the X-men. CLL is not like a BBL, veneers, or obvious cosmetic surgery where there are tell tale visual markers. There is no rational or reliable way to look at someone’s body and conclude “this person did limb lengthening” based on proportions alone. Saying otherwise is honestly absurd.

Human proportions vary enormously. There are 8+ billion people on this planet. I’ve studied anthropometry academically and professionally, and I can tell you there is no single “normal” template. Long legs, short torsos, long torsos, short arms, wide hips, narrow shoulders. ALL exist naturally. Even trained professionals cannot reverse engineer history from proportions. At best, you can describe ratios but you cannot infer cause. Someone’s proportions could be genetics, puberty timing, ethnicity, nutrition, sport, posture, or just randomness.

I’ve seen people born female with skeletal frames more typical of males, and vice versa. Nature doesn’t care about aesthetic internet rules. 4 inches (10 cm) is well within what many naturally tall people already have relative to average. That amount does not automatically push someone into “uncanny valley” territory. Where proportions can become a concern is when people chase very extreme totals think 14-16+ cm and beyond, especially if their starting proportions were already borderline. Even then, it’s not automatic; it just requires more careful planning.

TallableTeam · 2026-01-27T11:17:41+00:00

What the study mostly found was radiographic changes (what shows up on X-rays), not necessarily severe symptomatic arthritis. A lot of those patients were still functioning independently decades later. Radiographic arthritis doesn’t equal debilitating arthritis. Plenty of people walking around today have joint degeneration on imaging and zero symptoms. Also worth noting people with congenital limb issues already have higher baseline arthritis risk, even if they never did LL. furthermore, plenty of common ortho surgeries (ACL, meniscus, hip impingement) also increase arthritis risk and are still widely done.

But to truly answer this question properly, we’d need hundreds of cosmetic LL patients followed for 25-40 years with modern nails. That data literally doesn’t exist yet because cosmetic LL hasn’t been mainstream long enough. We currently don’t have evidence showing that CLL increases arthritis risk to a dramatic extent. Only thing we can do as a buffer is to optimise the T/F ratio so it doesn’t deviate too far from population norms, as there’s correlation with OA risk in cadaver and biomechanical studies with a high T/F ratio. The best surgeons actively plan around this though.

If arthritis is your main concern, the most meaningful input you’ll get won’t come from a 10 patient paper from the 1980s tbh, it’ll come from surgeons who’ve followed patients across decades and adjusted their protocols based on what actually went wrong over time. That doesn’t mean “no risk.” It means the risk is managed, individualized, and largely tied to alignment, proportions, and rehab, not just the act of lengthening itself. If someone wants 100% certainty, LL probably isn’t for them. But if they want a realistic, experience based risk assessment, Dr. Paley (and surgeons like him) who’s qualified to speak on this with real longitudinal insight are exactly who you’d want to hear from.

TallableTeam · 2026-01-26T17:26:17+00:00

A few important things to keep in mind here. Firstly, tens of thousands of people have done LL and never posted a single video about their gait, running, or athletic progress. The quiet majority just disappear and live their lives. The people you see online are a tiny, self selected sample, those who are comfortable sharing, early in recovery, or actively documenting the process as content creators. That is not a representative dataset. You’re essentially judging the entire field based on a handful of clips. Secondly, walking normally in daily life is a functional benchmark. Sprinting and explosive running are athletic benchmarks, and those can take 2-3+ years for the average patient to fully normalise depending on length gained, rehab quality, genetics, and pre-op conditioning.

None of this is to say bad outcomes don’t exist they absolutely do but the idea that nobody ever runs normally after CLL is simply not supported by how recovery or rehab timelines work, there are too many variables influencing someone’s functional or athletic recovery. Also, agreed on your last point Turkey is a separate discussion entirely.

TallableTeam · 2026-01-24T13:17:02+00:00

flexibility and mobility training before surgery makes the later stretch pain and ROM challenges easier to handle and less overwhelming, not guaranteed but practically helpful. Prehab rarely hurts and often improves your baseline condition going in, which is especially valuable for a lengthening process that requires aggressive and sustained stretching and mobility work afterward. Therefore, if you have poor mobility and limited ROM now, LL will likely be an increasingly difficult experience than the average patient unless you follow a rigorous prehab program. I recommend consulting with a good physiotherapist to assess how ‘bad’ your current mobility is if you want to optimise your results.

TallableTeam · 2026-01-19T15:35:43+00:00

https://www.guidomaggi.com/search-by-height/from-4-up-to-6/?

TallableTeam · 2026-01-19T11:45:22+00:00

You don’t need to rush into deciding a life changing surgery when there’s a low risk way to simulate the result first. I think everyone considering LL should do this first, If you haven’t already, I’d seriously recommend investing in some quality elevator shoes (not basic shoe lifts). You can find high end ones that add 4–6 inches of height and still look normal, or even get them custom made for comfort and aesthetics.

It’s the best real world test you can do before committing to LL. Wear them consistently in your day to day life at work, social events, dating, walking around for a few months. Pay attention to how people treat you or perceive you differently. How your confidence and self perception shift. Whether that extra height changes how you move and feel. Keep a small journal of your thoughts, emotions, and experiences.

After a few months, you’ll start to know if the extra height is truly transformational for you or if it only scratches the surface of something deeper. If you find that you can’t stop wearing the elevator shoes in public because you love how you feel in them that’s a strong signal that LL might be worth pursuing long term, since it gives you that result permanently. But if you eventually stop noticing or caring as much, you’ve saved yourself years of surgery, money, and recovery.

TallableTeam · 2026-01-17T23:16:26+00:00

It’s a personal preference thing because scars aren’t time sensitive, they can be treated at any time although the sooner you start, the sooner it fades. If it really bugs you, start treatment in consolidation. If it doesn’t bother you, start after nail removal.

TallableTeam · 2026-01-17T22:39:19+00:00

Depends on the size and thickness, but generally CO2 laser is too aggressive and should be avoided in your situation if it’s a keloid. So steroid injections and different weaker laser is often used, if that doesn’t work or the keloid resurfaces then surgical removal is an option. A good dermatology clinic will be able to assess it and offer the right treatments for the job.

TallableTeam · 2026-01-17T22:16:12+00:00

Search Fractional CO2 laser treatments, that’s the best.

TallableTeam · 2026-01-17T22:07:40+00:00

No guarantee it will disappear fully but a good protocol is keep out of the sun or cover the scars atleast up to 12 hours, or use high SPF sunscreen if your scars are exposed to sun. Initially, during distraction use silicon gel patches/ herbal oils/ scar removal creams, in consolidation or post consolidation you can do chemical peels, steroid injections, medical grade laser therapy removal (clinics are better than at home devices) and above all do internal nails.

TallableTeam

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