Limb Lengthening SurgeryLimb LengtheningSurgery · Directory
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ComparePRECICE vs Ilizarov

PRECICE vs Ilizarov — side by side.

The single biggest decision in limb lengthening is internal-nail or external-fixator. Internal nails sit inside the bone and are extended magnetically — no visible hardware. External fixators are metal frames bolted through the skin into the bone — uncomfortable and infection-prone, but cheaper and proven over decades. Hybrid methods like LON sit between the two.

AttributePRECICE 2Ilizarov
Hardwareinside boneoutside the skin
Cost range$50,000 – $160,000$15,000 – $40,000
Max gain (single stage)5–8 cm (femur), 4–7 cm (tibia)6–10 cm (femur), 6–8 cm (tibia)
Full recovery9–14 months14–24 months
Weight-bearing6–10 weeks (partial), 4–5 months (full)2–6 weeks (immediate partial), 8–12 months (full)
Complication rate15–25% all complications; 2–5% serious30–50% all complications; 8–15% serious
Scar pattern2 small (1–3 cm) incisions per leg, hip + knee8–16 pin sites per leg
Pin sitesNone8–16 per leg, on for full duration
Popular inUSA, Germany, UK, UAE, Israel, ItalyRussia, India, Iran, Egypt, South Africa
Clinics in directory35verified31verified
Editorial verdict

If you can afford it and your surgeon offers it, internal nail (PRECICE 2 or PRECICE Max) is the comfortable, lower-complication choice for cosmetic limb lengthening. External fixator (Ilizarov, Taylor Spatial Frame) remains the right call for very large gains, severe deformity correction, or post-traumatic reconstruction. The trade-off is comfort and complication risk versus cost and reconstructive capability. There is no single best method — there is a right method for your case.

Clinics offering PRECICE and Ilizarov

PRECICE — 35 clinics
Ilizarov — 31 clinics
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