I’ve noticed a recent resurgence in interest around upper limb lengthening, particularly for cosmetic purposes involving the arms and even the clavicles.
It’s important to clarify that the clavicles, or collarbones, should never be lengthened. This procedure is too risky, and no reputable surgeon would consider it. The same goes for the forearms.
The forearm, wrist, and hand are highly complex, with a delicate arrangement of tendons, nerves, blood vessels, and joints that allow for precise manipulation in three-dimensional space. Interfering with this system for cosmetic lengthening poses too many risks and simply isn’t advisable.
However, the humerus, the upper arm bone, is a different story. The humerus can be lengthened safely, and it’s something that reputable surgeons may offer as part of a cosmetic or stature lengthening plan. This procedure is often considered by patients after they’ve already undergone tibial and femoral lengthening, as the arms can appear disproportionately short afterward. For these individuals, humerus lengthening becomes a reasonable option.
Typically, humerus lengthening is done using an intramedullary nail like the Precise nail, and the standard amount of length gained is around 5 centimeters. That said, the rest of the upper limb should be left untouched for cosmetic reasons, and in my opinion, should not be altered at all.
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