Leg Length Discrepancy
Leg length discrepancy also known as leg length inequality refers to unequal lower limb lengths. It may a factor for pain in hip osteoarthritis, knee osteoarthritis, and chronic low back pain.
Aetiology
Anatomic: This refers to LLD due to fracture, trauma to the growth plate, degenerative disorders, post arthroplasty, or idiopathic developmental abnormalities
Function: This refers to joint contracture, soft tissue shortening, ligamentous laxity, axial malalignment, and abnormal foot mechanics.
Environmental: repeated exposure to uneven ground such as repeated running on a cambered road.
Developmental: May arise as part of physiologic growth.
Classification
- Mild: <30mm
- Moderate: 30-60mm
- Severe: >60mm
Epidemiology
LLD is present in up to 90% of the population, with 59% having an LLD of at least 5mm.
Clinical Features
LLD may be a source of pain and disability.[1]
Knee and hip osteoarthritis may develop in the longer limb.
Treatment
There is low quality evidence that shoe lifts reduce pain and improve function in patients with LLD and associated painful musculoskeletal conditions.[2] The percentage correction varies between studies. Trailing 50% correction may be a good starting point.
Surgery can be considered if the discrepancy is over 25mm.
Resources
References
- ↑ Gurney, Burke (2002-04). "[[Leg Length Discrepancy|Leg length discrepancy]]". Gait & Posture. 15 (2): 195–206. doi:10.1016/s0966-6362(01)00148-5. ISSN 0966-6362. PMID 11869914. Check date values in:
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(help); URL–wikilink conflict (help) - ↑ Campbell, T. Mark; Ghaedi, Bahareh Bahram; Tanjong Ghogomu, Elizabeth; Welch, Vivian (2018-05). "Shoe Lifts for Leg Length Discrepancy in Adults With Common Painful Musculoskeletal Conditions: A Systematic Review of the Literature". Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 99 (5): 981–993.e2. doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2017.10.027. ISSN 1532-821X. PMID 29229292. Check date values in:
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(help)
Literature Review
- Reviews from the last 7 years: review articles, free review articles, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, NCBI Bookshelf
- Articles from all years: PubMed search, Google Scholar search.
- TRIP Database: clinical publications about evidence-based medicine.
- Other Wikis: Radiopaedia, Wikipedia Search, Wikipedia I Feel Lucky, Orthobullets,