Limb lengthening methods, compared.
Every modern technique has trade-offs in cost, comfort, recovery time and long-term risk. This page covers the options you will encounter when researching clinics. No manufacturer has paid to appear here.
Compare methods side by sideThe information below is educational. It is not medical advice. Technique selection should be made in consultation with a board-certified orthopedic surgeon who has examined you and reviewed your imaging.
PRECICE 2
PRECICE 2 Intramedullary Lengthening Nail
Magnetically-driven internal nail — the current global standard for cosmetic and reconstructive lengthening.
PRECICE Stryde
PRECICE Stryde Weight-Bearing Nail
A heavier-duty PRECICE variant allowing full weight-bearing during distraction — recalled in 2021.
PRECICE Max
PRECICE Max Intramedullary Nail
Newest-generation magnetic PRECICE nail — stronger motor, thicker build, higher weight-bearing than PRECICE 2.
LON
Lengthening Over Nail
A hybrid technique: external fixator drives distraction while an internal nail provides stability — fixator removed earlier than classical Ilizarov.
LATN
Lengthening And Then Nailing
External fixator drives the distraction phase; once length is achieved, an internal nail is inserted and the frame removed.
Ilizarov
Ilizarov Frame Method
The original circular-frame external fixator method — workhorse of reconstructive limb lengthening for four decades.
Fitbone
FITBONE Intramedullary Lengthening System
Fully-implanted motorized nail powered by an external radiofrequency transmitter — a leading internal alternative to PRECICE, widely used in Germany and Turkey.
Guichet Nail (G-Nail)
Guichet Nail (G-Nail) — Weight-Bearing Intramedullary Nail
A fully weight-bearing internal nail lengthened mechanically by controlled leg rotation — no external frame, walking with crutches from day one.
Betzbone
BETZBONE Intramedullary Lengthening Nail
A proprietary German weight-bearing internal nail with the highest stated stability and length capacity (up to ~12 cm) — offered by the Becker-Betz Institute.
TSF
Taylor Spatial Frame (hexapod external fixator)
A software-guided 6-strut (hexapod) external fixator that lengthens and corrects deformity in all three planes at once.
Salamehfix
Salamehfix 1 / SLDF hinged arc external fixator
A three-arc hinged external frame designed to lengthen the bone and correct an axial deviation in the same distraction — used by one surgeon and his team.
Which two methods are you comparing?
Internal nail vs hybrid — cost vs comfort.
Compare side by side →Modern internal nail vs classic external fixator.
Compare side by side →The fundamental choice — every method falls under one.
Compare side by side →The recalled nail and what replaced it.
Compare side by side →