Leg Length Discrepancy

Some people are born with a leg length discrepancy. Some have an injury, like a fracture, which can lead to the limb being short or long. Many patients with arthritis will have the leg shorten, even if they are not aware of it. At the time of surgery the goal is to fix the knee or hip and make it stable. Patients may feel long after surgery. For many this resolves in a number of weeks. Some may continue to feel long, especially if they have spine issues. Sometimes to make the hip or knee stable the leg may have to be lengthened on purpose otherwise the knee or hip would be unstable which could lead to problems such as a dislocation

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