Augusta Orthopedic Surgery - Leg Length Discrepancy Information

108 MacTanly Place
Staunton, Virginia 24401

Pediatric Orthopedics

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Leg Length Discrepancy

A Leg Length Discrepancy is a frequently seen orthopaedic problem. The cause of this condition can include:

Trauma
Skeletal anomalies that were present at birth
Infections and tumors of the bone
Neuromuscular diseases (Cerebral Palsy, Myelomeningocele, etc).
Skeletal disease/disorders (Legg-Perthes disease, slipped capital femoral epiphysis)

Signs and Symptoms:

Limp:	Your child may have a moderate to significant limp if the difference in the lengths is moderate to severe (1” or greater).
Asymmetric Posture:	Your child may lean towards the side of the shorter leg.
Scoliosis (Curvature of the spine):	A curvature of the spine can occur in response to the leg length discrepancy. The spine naturally responds by developing a curve in order to keep the head center approximately over the center of the body (pelvis).
Pain:	Pain is rarely associated with a leg length discrepancy.

Diagnosis:

Noting the Chronologic (age) and skeletal (bone age) age of your child is crucial for treatment. The bone age is discovered through examination of an X-ray of your child’s hand.
A Scanogram (type of X-ray that has a ruler integrated into the picture) is taken in order to confirm the specific location and amount of the discrepancy (e.g., thigh bone vs. lower leg bone).
The scanogram results along with the chronologic and skeletal ages are plotted on a special LLD graph in order to follow the progression and plan the treatment timing.

Treatment

minor discrepancies in the lengths of your child's legs may be successfully treated with a lift (called an “adjust-a-lift”) placed inside the shoe of the short leg.