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Forum Name: Bone trauma and fractures

Question: The Cure for Short Height?

Dashtoronto - Tue Dec 26, 2006 6:28 am

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My question is, Are any researchers, scientists trying to figure out a way to achieve the ability to make people grow, AFTER they've reached their adult height? And AFTER their growth plates have turned to bone and fused together? Or have researchers and scientists feel they've already accomplished/achieved this, with the creation/release of Human Growth Hormone made available by doctors to teenagers and children only NOT adults. Or Are scientists and researchers trying to accomplish to be able to make it possible for ADULTS to grow? Have you heard of any research or any groups/companies pursuing this at all, in the grapevine? At all? It would be nice to hear of someone, some group, some company whom have ambitions to achieve this. It would make my day a little brighter. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I know there's a market for people who want to grow taller. A huge market. Like the industry for weight loss, which is HUGE, considering there's millions of people, no...make that billions...no...make that infinite numbers of people who want to lose weight...in fact, pretty much almost every girl wants to lose weight...a pound or two.. The industry for weight loss is enormous. WeightWatchers, weight loss products, weight loss gyms, magazines, weight loss food promising lower calories, no fat...milkshakes that serve as a complete dinner.. There's also an industry for people who want to gain muscle. There's thousands of products out there. Whey Protein, human growth hormone, steroids, magazines. And the same goes for height. There's a huge potential industry for it. How do I know this? Well, when Human Growth Hormones came out and was announced. People all over, thousands of ADULT men asked if Human Growth Hormone can make them grow. Which the unfortunate answer they got was that the growth plates fuse together and become bone material after 18 years of age. (I asked my doctor the same thing and he gave me the same answer...) Don't forget. The response to the desire to gain a few inches by women, have given birth to High heeled shoes. Now, literally almost every woman wears high heeled shoes. Even the tall women wear them. If a woman is 5'10, chances are very likely that she'll still wear high heels on an occasional basis, because the additional height will make her look even better. Now, almost every shoe store sells high heeled shoes and they are sold very very well. A huge business for high heel. Well, there are some scam sites and hoax formulas and products out there that are trying to tap into people's desire to grow taller. So, already there is a market for it, as small and tiny as it is. Even if the market is totally incapable and false and can not deliver its promises. There is already a market, people making websites promising legitimate products that can make people grow. ( http://www. growth-flex. com/growthflex. html ) that claim, "IS IT NOW POSSIBLE TO IMPROVE YOUR HEIGHT?" "Most people stop growing taller sooon after puberty, but more continue to grow. Researchers are starting to understand the mechanism behind this difference" Don't know if they're saying that you can continue to grow after puberty and after 18 years of age. Some claim you stop growing at 25. Don't know which is right. Another example is, in China, alot of people are currently having a height craze. Where they're undergoing surgery on their legs to extend their length. How can normal average citizens afford this? I have no clue. But obviously, there's a huge market that already exists in China for the desire to increase height. And this is how China have pursued the industry to satisfy the mass desire of the populace to increase a person's height But, my question is, as huge the potential for the market for people who want to lose weight, there's a huge potential market for people who want to gain height, for men and women alike. And Bovine Growth Hormone came so close, to achieving that. For the entire skeletal structure, every bone grows in syncrony, so that the person, having gained height, doesn't look abnormal, but like any regular tall dude or dudette. So, he passes as if he just continued to grow, no abnormally long legs like surgery would give him the appearance of. If not for the bone cancer and the extra space in the head, failed growth of the brain to compensate for the additional space, to go along with the bone growth.

Dr. Chan Lowe - Tue Dec 26, 2006 7:29 pm

Growth is actually quite a fascinating thing. Boys and girls will experience a growth spurt during puberty where they will gain a significant amount of height. After this growth spurt, both boys and girls will continue to grow, but generally only a little more-they won't be growing 6 or 7 inches more. The reason for this lies in the growth plates, as you have suggested. The same hormones that induce puberty and the growth spurt also induce growth plate closure. Once the growth plates are closed, growth is essentially finished. Growth hormone can be given to children before their growth plates are closed to induce some growth; however, after their growth plates close it becomes inneffective. To my knowledge, there are no current treatments for short stature as an adult. I am also not aware of any research in that area. Hope this helps address your questions.

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