The Alarming Boom in Height Surgery, And Why It's So Risky

Would you willingly have your legs broken, the bones stretched apart millimetre by millimetre and then spend months in recovery – all to be a few centimetres taller?

This is the promise of limb-lengthening surgery. A procedure once reserved for correcting severe orthopaedic problems, it has now become a cosmetic trend .

While it might sound like a quick fix for those hoping to make themselves taller, the procedure is far from simple. Bones, muscles, nerves and joints all pay a heavy price – and the risks often outweigh the rewards.

Limb lengthening is not new. The procedure was pioneered in the 1950s by Soviet orthopaedic surgeon Gavriil Ilizarov , who developed a system to treat badly healed fractures and congenital limb deformities. His technique revolutionised reconstructive orth