Growing Tall Mechanisms: Insights

Many people want to understand the mechanism of growing tall. Now height increase is traditionally occur at growth plates-epiphyseal and diaphyseal fusion. If you consider cellular mechanisms chondrocytes and osteoblasts are set of cells which influence height increase.

Growing Taller involves stem cell precursor cells differentiating into stem cells which differentiate into chondrocytes. Proliferation of each of these cells can occur dependent on telomere length and DNA Methylation status. Then chondrocytes hypertrophy and then alkaline phosphatase and Collagen X is involved when the chondrocytes undergo apoptosis and differentiate into chondrocytes.

Now, in what part of that description did I mention growth plates? The key factor to growing taller is the chondrocyte hypertrophy. Larger cells means larger bone volume. Stem cells remain in the bone marrow post epiphyseal and diaphyseal fusion. These stem cells can differentiate into chondrocytes and if these chondrocytes undergo hypertrophy you will grow taller.

Stem cells can differentiate into chondrocytes based on hydrostatic pressure and Type II Collagen. Hydrostatic Pressure can be generated after puberty by lateral or vertical compression of the bone(lateral is better). Type II Collagen is abundantly present in all bones.

There are tons of stem cells in the body as they are needed to form and repair blood vessels. There are lots of stem cells in bone as well. If you activate these stem cells and these stem cells differentiate into chondrocytes which proceed to hypertrophy then you will grow taller.

The obstacle again is not growth plate fusion but rather the DNA Methylation status or telomere length of the stem cell. Endochondral Ossification seems to occur largely at a cellular level and not a larger growth plate level. Many of the genes involved in Endochondral Ossification can be upregulated at any time such as Sox9.

The other type of cell that can make you taller is osteoblasts. Osteoblasts beneath the periosteum can easily make you taller such as the periosteum covering the flat bone of the skull. However, there is no layer of periosteum covering the ends of long bones(there may be patches but a detailed histological exam would be required). However, you can still grow taller by something called surface osteoblasts.

Stem cells can differentiate into osteoblasts within the bone including the longitudinal ends of the bones(called the subchondral plate). Exactly what factors determine whether stem cells differentiate into chondrocytes or osteoblasts is unclear. It may depend on things such as the methylation status of the stem cells. If osteoblasts deposit new bone on the longitudinal ends of your bones then you will grow taller.

Epiphyseal fusion involves terminal differentiation of chondrocytes followed by invasion of the hyaline cartilage growth plate line by bone. Epiphyseal fusion in no way inhibits stem cells from differentiating into chondrocytes or osteoblasts. In fact according to heterotopic ossification bone can be formed anywhere in the body even outside the skeleton. There are also disorders called chondrosarcoma and osteosarcoma that involve chondrogenic and osteogenic differentiation after puberty.

Now you may think messing with telomeres is dangerous. However, cancer is usually formed by Alternate Lengthening of Telomeres not by methods such as increasing Telomerase levels. Just be sure to be taking anti-oxidants and DNA protectors such as folic acid to prevent DNA damage.

You can also get new stem cells that haven't been methylated by sources such as breast milk. If methylation status of stem cells prevents chondrogenic differentiation then getting fresh stem cells may allow height growth to begin anew.

So you see growing taller isn't about growth plate fusion, it's about cells. Controlling the differentiation of those cells and increasing the proliferation of those cells. Don't let growth plate fusion fuse your mind to the possibilities.