When discussing balance and symmetry in the human body, we might not immediately consider leg length. However, leg length discrepancy symptoms can significantly impact overall health and daily comfort.
Imagine taking a single step every day and feeling an invisible difference that causes you to lean slightly to one side. Many people who suffer from leg length differences experience this reality.
In this article, we will explore the accompanying symptoms, how it is diagnosed, and the latest treatment methods that can help restore the body’s natural balance, including treating one leg being longer than the other. Let’s begin this journey toward a deeper understanding of this condition and explore the available treatment options.
Is leg length discrepancy normal?
It is common for most people to have a slight difference in the size or length of their legs, which often goes unnoticed and does not cause problems. However, if the difference is significant, it may lead to health issues such as back pain, fatigue, and difficulty with movement.
What is the leg length discrepancy treatment?
Many individuals have a difference in limb length—whether upper or lower—but it is usually slight and unnoticeable. However, leg length discrepancy can be more problematic than arm length difference because it has more pronounced symptoms and a more significant impact on the patient’s daily life.
There are many reasons for leg length discrepancy in children. In any case, if the difference is less than 2 cm—as is the case with many people—it will not be noticeable, won’t significantly affect life, and will require simple treatment.
However, if the leg length difference is more than 2 cm, the patient will face challenges in daily life, especially while walking. Leg length discrepancy is a cosmetic issue and a significant cause of several other orthopedic conditions like scoliosis.
There are many methods for treating leg length discrepancy in Turkey, with surgery being one of the most prominent due to its satisfying results for many patients. The techniques and equipment used in leg length discrepancy surgery vary depending on the patient’s condition and their expectations for treatment results.
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How do I know if I have one leg shorter than the other?
The symptoms of unequal leg length vary depending on the severity of the discrepancy. If the difference in length is significant, the following symptoms will be visible:
- Limping while walking: because one hip is higher than the other, you either bend the knee of the long leg or walk on the toes of the short leg.
- Back pain due to unnatural walking.
- Fatigue is a result of the extra effort required for walking.
What are the causes of limb length discrepancies?
There are many reasons for leg length discrepancy, but they are mainly divided into four groups that lead to the cessation of bone growth in one leg while the other remains normal.
Congenital leg length discrepancy
During the fetal stage, one leg may stop growing for unknown reasons, and the child may be born with uneven leg length due to a developmental defect. Some childbirth problems, such as developmental (congenital) hip dislocation and coxa vara, can also lead to leg length differences.
Acquired leg length discrepancy
One cause of leg length discrepancy is an injury to one of the legs with complex bone fractures that do not heal quickly, especially in the area of the growth plate (epiphyseal cartilage). A fracture in this area leads to premature closure of growth while the other leg continues to grow normally.
Here, the femur and tibia bones are worth mentioning, as severe fractures in them may lead to the cessation of growth. Some fractures of the femur may lead to overgrowth of the bone and, thus, an increase in the length of the affected leg.
Pathological leg length discrepancy
Some bone diseases can lead to growth failure and, thus, a decrease in bone length in the affected limb, including:
- Osteoporosis
- Osteomyelitis
- Bone tumors
- Bone cysts
The difference in leg length may be caused by the treatment of these diseases – whether surgical removal, radiation, or chemotherapy – because they may slow or stop bone growth.
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Other causes
Some other diseases may weaken or cause an inability to use the limb, resulting in growth failure. Others cause inflammation around the growth plate, disrupting its function and leading to leg length discrepancy. Some of these diseases include:
- Cerebral palsy
- Juvenile arthritis
Non-surgical treatment for leg length discrepancy
Suppose the leg length discrepancy is minor (less than 2 cm). Surgery is not recommended in that case, and non-surgical solutions are preferred because the benefits of surgery are minimal compared to the risks associated with it. Non-surgical treatment includes:
Physical therapy
Physical therapy involves stretching and strengthening exercises to reduce the gap between the legs slightly. However, to maximize the benefits of this treatment, it must be performed under the supervision of a physical therapy specialist who accurately prescribes suitable exercises.
Contact us to inquire about the details of physical therapy treatment in Turkey.
Shoe lifts
You can simply alleviate leg length discrepancy symptoms by placing a lift or wedge in your shoe on the shorter foot so that the height of this lift is equal to the leg length difference. The doctor will accurately measure the length of your legs to design shoes specifically for you.
Prosthetics
Leg length discrepancy may result from a severe bone disease leading to limb amputation. In this case, the only solution is to install prosthetic limbs to return to everyday life and walk again on your feet.
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Treatment for one leg being longer than the other in children
The treatment of leg length discrepancy depends on the cause of the problem, its severity, and the child’s age.
Some treatment options include:
- Monitoring: A slight difference in leg length may not require any treatment, especially if it doesn’t cause symptoms.
- Special shoes: Customized shoes can be used to lift the shorter leg or lower the longer leg.
- Physical therapy exercises: Stretching and strengthening exercises can help improve range of motion and reduce pain.
- Surgery: Surgery may be necessary in some cases, such as severe leg length discrepancies or growth-related issues.
Surgical treatment for correcting leg length discrepancy
Leg length discrepancy surgery provides therapeutic solutions in many cases. It restores the limb to its natural length and achieves equality between the feet by shortening the long leg or lengthening the short leg. In Turkey, the appropriate surgery is selected according to the patient’s age and the leg length disparity.
The doctor discusses with the patient their desire to gain a little height or lose a few centimeters of their height to restore their normal gait.
Leg shortening surgery in Turkey
Unlike leg lengthening procedures, this procedure is simple and has few complications. However, its disadvantages include losing a few centimeters of height.
Leg shortening is resorted to when the leg length discrepancy is moderate (2-6 cm). Leg shortening surgery for an adult fully grown differs from leg shortening surgery for a child in the growth stage, so it is divided into two types:
Leg shortening in children
Since children are in the growth stage and increasing in height, leg length discrepancy can be treated by halting bone growth in the natural limb until the short limb catches up in length with the other limb, thus achieving balance between the leg lengths. There are two types of surgical procedures for children:
- Epiphysiodesis: The surgeon fuses the epiphyseal plates in the long limb to temporarily or permanently stop its growth (timing is the most critical factor for the success of this treatment).
- Epiphyseal Stapling: The surgeon inserts staples into the epiphyseal plates in the longer leg to temporarily stop its growth until the short leg catches up and becomes equal in length. Then, the staples are removed.
Leg shortening in adults
Since bone growth is complete in adults, the only solution to treat one leg longer than the other is to remove a part of the bone in the long leg so that the lengths of both legs become equal after the bones heal.
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Leg lengthening surgery in Turkey
This procedure is performed for patients in their teenage years and early adolescence and is based on the principle of bone fracture healing. A piece of bone to be lengthened is removed, and a bone lengthening device is placed in its place, either externally or internally.
Internal bone lengthening devices are one of the latest techniques for treating leg length discrepancy in Turkey due to their high accuracy and reduced risk of bone infection in the legs after the operation.
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After this device is installed through a surgical procedure, the child (or a family member) is advised to rotate a small arm placed on the leg and connected to the device inside the bone daily to adjust the length of the device placed between these two pieces and increase the distance between the bone pieces. The device is removed through another surgical procedure after the patient has healed from the leg length discrepancy.
Bone lengthening surgery is considered one of the most extended surgical procedures, lasting several months. Because bone formation occurs very slowly, the daily increase in length does not exceed a few millimeters until the desired length is reached.
Previously, treating leg length discrepancy was difficult and impossible, but now the Bimaristan Medical Center provides the latest therapeutic methods to restore the patient’s natural balance. Leg length discrepancy is treated in Turkey after considering the patient’s condition, desires, and aspirations, in addition to the recommendations of the specialist doctor. Contact us for a free medical consultation from specialized doctors and strive for a better life.
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