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fact check based on current evidence, and will height of a person at 165 cm at age 31 increase
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periosteal bone apposition skeletal maturity adult
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height increase adults epiphyseal plate closure
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can adults grow taller after 30 epiphyseal plate closed height increase evidence 2024
Here is a thorough fact-check and answer:
Fact-Check: The Paper's Claims
The image shows "Periosteal Appositional Bone Growth from Age Two to Age Seventy in Man: A Tetracycline Evaluation" by Bruce N. Epker and Harold M. Frost, from Henry Ford Hospital's Orthopedic Research Laboratory.
What the paper claims (highlighted in the image):
"periosteal bone apposition does indeed continue after skeletal maturity"
Verdict: TRUE - but with critical nuance
This claim is factually accurate and well-supported by modern bone science. Here's the breakdown:
| Claim | Accuracy | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Periosteal apposition continues after skeletal maturity | TRUE | Well-established in current bone biology. Bones add mineral on the outer (periosteal) surface throughout life. |
| Apposition decreases with advancing age | TRUE | Confirmed by modern bone densitometry and histomorphometry studies. |
| Still present in the 7th decade (age 60-70) | TRUE | Table 1 in the paper shows 33% of subjects aged 60-69 had periosteal labels. |
| Skeletal maturity at ~age 20 | TRUE | Epiphyseal plate (growth plate) fusion completes around age 16-21 in most people. |
This paper's findings have held up well - periosteal bone modeling is a legitimate, ongoing process even in elderly adults. It is the basis for understanding cortical bone thickening and the "mechanostat" theory developed by Frost himself.
Will a 165 cm, 31-Year-Old Person Grow Taller?
No. The periosteal bone growth described in this paper is a completely different process from height increase.
Here is the distinction:
Two completely different types of bone growth:
1. Longitudinal growth (height) - from growth plates (epiphyseal plates)
- Occurs at the cartilaginous growth plates at the ends of long bones (femur, tibia, etc.)
- Driven by chondrocyte proliferation + GH + IGF-1
- Stops permanently when growth plates fuse - typically age 16-18 in males, 14-16 in females
- By age 21 at the latest, nearly all growth plates are fully ossified
- At age 31, growth plates have been closed for ~10-15 years
- No credible mechanism exists to reopen them naturally
2. Periosteal (appositional) growth - what this paper describes
- Adds bone to the OUTER SURFACE of the bone shaft (widens the bone, does not lengthen it)
- Increases bone diameter and cortical thickness - relevant for bone strength, not height
- Continues throughout life, as shown by Epker & Frost
- Does NOT increase height
Common misconceptions debunked:
- "Stretching/hanging/yoga makes you taller" - These can improve posture and temporarily decompress spinal discs (up to ~0.5-1 cm variation across the day), but this is not true growth.
- "Supplements can grow bones" - No evidence supports this after growth plate closure.
- "This paper shows adults can grow taller" - Incorrect interpretation. The paper is about width/diameter changes, not length.
What actually changes height slightly after 30:
- Diurnal variation: You are ~0.5-1 cm taller in the morning (spinal discs re-hydrate overnight) - not real growth
- Posture improvement: Can add the appearance of 1-3 cm without any bone change
- After age 30-40: Height actually slowly decreases (~0.5 cm per decade due to disc compression, vertebral changes, and osteoporosis-related bone loss accelerating after age 50)
Summary
The Epker & Frost paper is scientifically legitimate and its core claims are accurate - periosteal apposition does continue after skeletal maturity. However, this is often misrepresented online as evidence that adults can grow taller, which it is not.
At 31 years old with closed epiphyseal plates, an increase in standing height is not possible through any natural means. The only medical option would be surgical limb lengthening, which carries significant risks and is only performed for medical indications or as an elective procedure at specialized centers.
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