Limb Lengthening SurgeryLimb LengtheningSurgery · Directory
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ComparePRECICE vs Ilizarov

PRECICE vs Ilizarov — side by side.

PRECICE 2 is the modern internal magnetic nail. Ilizarov is the original external fixator — 50+ year track record but visible hardware and pin-site infections. PRECICE costs 3–4× more but recovery is faster and the scars are smaller.

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

For cosmetic limb lengthening with no congenital deformity, PRECICE 2 is the standard of care: smaller scars, faster recovery, lower published complication rate, no pin-site infections. Ilizarov earns its place for complex reconstructive cases — deformity correction, post-traumatic limb-length discrepancy, or where the patient cannot afford an internal nail. It remains the only proven method for very large gains (>8 cm in one bone).

Clinics offering PRECICE and Ilizarov

PRECICE — 35 clinics
Ilizarov — 31 clinics
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