Limb Length Discrepancy
Limb-Length-Discrepancy','A discrepancy in leg length will usually become obvious to parents as they\r\nwatch their child grow and begin to crawl and walk. Some children are born\r\nwith legs of different lengths. In other cases, illness or injury causes a\r\ndiscrepancy in length to develop over time. While a slight difference in leg\r\nlength may not cause symptoms, a significant difference can cause a\r\nnoticeable limp and make it difficult for a child to run and play.
Treatment for a discrepancy depends upon the severity. In many cases, a\r\nminor difference in leg length can be evened out by wearing a lift in one\r\nshoe. A child with a more significant difference, however, may benefit from\r\nsurgery to make his or her legs the same length.
Previous Injury to a Bone in the Leg
A broken leg bone can lead to a limb length discrepancy if it heals in a\r\nshortened position. This is more likely to happen if the bone was broken\r\ninto many pieces. It is also more likely to happen if the skin and muscle\r\ntissue around the bone were severely injured and exposed, as occurs in an\r\nopen fracture.\r\nIn a child, a broken bone sometimes grows faster for several years after\r\nhealing, causing it to become longer than the bone on the opposite side.\r\nThis type of overgrowth occurs most often in young children with femur\r\n(thighbone) fractures.
Alternatively, a break in a child\'s bone through the growth plate near the\r\nend of the bone may cause slower growth, resulting in a shorter leg.
Bone Infection
Bone infections that occur in growing children may cause a significant limb\r\nlength discrepancy. This is especially true if the infection happens in\r\ninfancy.
Certain bone diseases may also cause limb length discrepancy.
Symptoms
Patients who have differences of 3.5 to 4 percent of total leg length (about\r\n4 cm or 2/3 inches in an average adult) may limp or have other difficulties\r\nwhen walking. Because these differences require the patient to exert more\r\neffort to walk, he or she may tire easily.
Nonsurgical Treatment
For patients with minor limb length discrepancies (less than 1 inch) and no\r\ndeformity, treatment is usually nonsurgical in nature. Because the risks of\r\n\r\nsurgery may outweigh the benefits, surgical treatment to equalize small\r\ndifferences in leg length is not usually recommended.
Nonsurgical treatments may include:
Observation. If your child has not yet reached skeletal maturity, your doctor\r\nmay recommend simple observation until growing is complete. During this\r\ntime, your child will be reevaluated at regular intervals to determine\r\nwhether the discrepancy is increasing or remaining the same.
Wearing a shoe lift. A lift fitted to the inside or outside of the shoe can often\r\nimprove a patient\'s ability to walk and run. A shoe lift may also relieve back\r\npain caused by a smaller limb length discrepancy. Shoe lifts are\r\ninexpensive and can be removed easily if they are not effective.
FootPro insoles help to correct limb length discrepancy easily . The patient\r\nis able to walk without limping with correction insoles. Correction is possible\r\nfor varying lengths with Footpro Insoles. Also, our insoles neatly fit inside\r\nthe shoe or footwear and is not easily identifiable.
Surgical Treatment
Please consult a doctor for detailed information on corrections with surgery.
