Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute
Led by Dr. Alessandro Depaoli, MD; EPOS. MD — Pediatric Orthopedics & Traumatology (limb-length discrepancy)
What this score measuresThis is the public score for the entire hospital — wards, admissions, emergency department — not for its limb reconstruction unit. Read it as a comment on the building, not on the surgery.
This profile is the free listing
Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute can publish up to 10 photos, a clinic video, a surgeon interview and its own articles on this page. Ranking and reviews are not part of it and never change.
About Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute
Founded in 1896 within the Italian public health system, Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli in Bologna is a specialty orthopaedic hospital designated an IRCCS national research hospital by the Ministry of Health. Limb lengthening sits in its Pediatric Orthopedics and Traumatology Unit, headed by Gino Rocca; the limb-lengthening surgeon is Alessandro Depaoli, MD, EPOS, whose stated field is limb-length discrepancy. Methods listed are Ilizarov, LON and PRECICE. Codivilla performed foundational femoral osteotomies here in 1903, and the unit's orientation remains academic and reconstructive, not cosmetic.
The hospital does not publish a price. Expect a reconstructive, indication-driven assessment rather than a cosmetic stature service, and ask early whether elective height increase is offered at all. Rehabilitation arrangements are not documented in the record. Consultations run in Italian and English through an International Office. The 4.0 Google rating from 660 reviews is for the hospital as a whole.
RETRACTED 2026-08-13: an earlier note said the website was unreachable and asked whether the clinic still operates at this URL. It does. www.ior.it returns 500 to our checker and 200 with the full Pediatric Orthopedics and Traumatology ward page through a non-Turkish egress; both resolvers agree on the address. The observation was about our vantage point, not the institute. | 2026-06-18 verify: Dr. Bevoni removed (foot & ankle, not LL). Limb-lengthening surgeon is Dr. Alessandro Depaoli; unit head Dr. Gino Rocca.
What the clinic states
Taken directly from the clinic’s own website. Details can change — confirm with the clinic before you travel.
- Notes
- Public research/orthopaedic institute (founded 1896), Pediatric Orthopaedics & Traumatology Unit. Information Office (URP) phone +39 051 6366900, Mon-Fri from 8:30am. No prices published (individual assessment).
Source: clinic website · verified 2026-07-11.
Why we listed this clinic
Historic cradle of limb lengthening — Dr. Codivilla performed foundational femoral osteotomies here in 1903. Academic/reconstructive focus, not cosmetic. Dr. Depaoli's Rizzoli team is the named contact for an active ClinicalTrials.gov study of infantile lower-limb malformations, and he and colleagues won the AAOS Orthopaedic Video Theater Award — both fresh, independently verifiable facts not in the prior record. Dr. Rocca's directorship is independently reconfirmed via a dated (Feb 2024) regional press quote.
Videos & surgeon interviews
Videos surfaced from public YouTube search for this clinic and its lead surgeon. We do not own or pre-screen this content.
Cross-source coverage
We surface independent search results so you can verify the clinic exists outside its own marketing. Click any source to read it in full — we don't edit or endorse third-party content.
... Limb Lengthening? A Systematic Review. Biomed Res Int. 2017:2017 ... Clinica Ortopedica e Traumatologica II, Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute, Bologna, Italy.
2nd Orthopaedic and Traumatologic Clinic , IRCCS Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute , Bologna , Italy ... This study presents a novel staged technique ...
Out of a total of 40 patients affected with Blount's disease treated at the Pediatric Orthopaedic Division of the Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute between 1965 and ...
Italy hosts a small number of long-running reconstructive limb-lengthening centers — Rizzoli in Bologna ... Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute (Istituto Ortopedico ...
Today, actually, hip and knee arthroplasty is the most common type of surgery performed at Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute, involving around 20% ...
Methods offered
- IlizarovRead about Ilizarov →
- LONRead about LON →
- PRECICERead about PRECICE →
- PRECICE 2Read about PRECICE 2 →
Surgeons
- Dr. Alessandro Depaoli, MD; EPOSMD — Pediatric Orthopedics & Traumatology (limb-length discrepancy)View profile →
- Dr. Gino Rocca, Director, Department of Pediatric Orthopedics and Traumatology, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico RizzoliUnit headView profile →
Compare with every other leg lengthening surgeon in the directory.
International patient services
Yes — International Office
Accreditations
- ●Italian Ministry of Health national research hospital (IRCCS)
Common questions about Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute
Answers are built from this clinic's verified record — not from the clinic's marketing.
How do patients rate Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute?
Across independent platforms Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute holds Google 3.9/5 (684 reviews). We show each platform separately rather than blending them into one score; figures were last checked 2026-09-11. Read the reviews themselves, not just the number — limb lengthening reviews cluster at the extremes.
How much does limb lengthening cost at Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute?
Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute does not publish a price, and we do not invent one. Comparable Italy clinics in this directory range widely by method; use the cost estimator or contact the clinic for a written quote before travelling.
Which limb lengthening methods does Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute offer?
Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute lists Ilizarov, LON, PRECICE, PRECICE 2. The lead surgeon on record is Dr. Alessandro Depaoli (MD; EPOS). Each method page on this site explains how the device works, typical gain and the trade-offs.
What does recovery look like after surgery at Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute?
Distraction runs at roughly 1 mm per day for 4–8 weeks, consolidation takes another 3–6 months while the new bone hardens, and physiotherapy-led return to full activity is usually 6–12 months from surgery. Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute offers more than one device type (Ilizarov, LON, PRECICE, PRECICE 2), and the recovery curve differs between them: internal nails allow earlier weight-bearing, external frames need pin-site care until removal. Ask which protocol applies to your case.
Does Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute treat international patients?
Yes — International Office. Consultation languages on record: Italian, English.
How was Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute verified for this directory?
Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute is listed at Tier 2 — surgeon name, address and methods are verified, but full outcome and regulatory review is not yet complete. We hold 5 source URLs for this entry. Last verified 2026-09-11. The clinic cannot pay to change its tier, ranking or reviews; paid options only affect presentation and are always labelled.
Where is Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute and where are operations performed?
Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute is in Bologna, Italy. Hospital affiliation on record: Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli (historic specialty orthopedic hospital; part of Italian public health system) Established 1896.
How we verified this clinic
- Tier
- Tier 2 — verified basics
- Last verified
- 2 days ago
- Hospital affiliation
- Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli (historic specialty orthopedic hospital; part of Italian public health system)
- Established
- 1896
- Languages at consultation
- Italian, English
Verification covers: named surgeon credentials, hospital affiliation, methods offered, public-facing website, and regulatory status. We re-verify quarterly. If a clinic fails a re-verification, we add an editorial note or demote its tier — we do not quietly remove it.
Independence: this clinic cannot pay to change its ranking, Directory Score, tier, or reviews. Paid options affect presentation only and are always labeled. We take no commission and charge no per-patient fee. Editorial policy.
This directory is editorial. It is not medical advice, an endorsement, or a substitute for consultation with a qualified surgeon. Pricing and availability change — always verify directly with the clinic before making decisions.