How much leg length discrepancy is normal after hip replacement?

How much leg length discrepancy is normal after hip replacement?

Discussion. Discrepancy of leg length is common after arthroplasty of the hip. In the literature, the mean LLD varies from 1 to 15.9 mm. LLD has been perceived in between 6%20 and 32%19 of patients and universally perceived when shortening exceeds 10 mm and lengthening 6 mm.

Does leg length change after hip replacement?

As part of hip replacement, the soft tissues surrounding the joint must be stretched to the appropriate tightness to ensure that the joint stays in place. That can result in a slightly longer leg length. It is usually a matter of a few millimeters, and many people don’t notice it.

What happens if your legs are uneven after hip replacement?

Your operative leg is not actually longer after surgery. This apparent leg length discrepancy results from a contracture in your arthritic hip (pre-surgery) that limits your hip range of motion. As a result, your pelvis must accommodate and tilts down on the arthritic side.

How do you fix leg length discrepancy?

The treatments that can be considered include a shoe insert, a high shoe, or an orthosis, surgically induced slowing of growth by blockade of the epiphyseal plates around the knee joint, or leg lengthening with osteotomy and subsequent distraction of the bone callus with fully implanted or external apparatus.

How much leg length discrepancy is normal?

Most differences in leg length are normal. No one is perfectly symmetrical and a difference of up to 2 cm in adults is typical.

Does hip replacement make you shorter?

In the overwhelming majority of cases, there is no change in leg length after hip replacement. In most cases where the patient feels a change in leg lengths, that perception will disappear over several months as the muscle and tissues stretch.

What happens if one leg is shorter than the other?

Structural LLD occurs when either the thigh bone (femur) or the shin bone (tibia) is shorter in one leg than in the other. The condition typically presents at birth, but it can also happen as a child grows. Some potential causes of structural LLD include: Bone injuries: Bone breaks can slow down bone growth in one leg.

How much leg length discrepancy is significant?

Small differences in limb length are common. In fact, as many as a third of the population may have a 1 cm or less (less than ½ inch) discrepancy between their right and left legs. These slight differences are generally not noticeable and don’t require treatment.

How long does it take for bone to grow into hip replacement?

If the prosthesis is not cemented into place, it is necessary to allow four to six weeks (for the femur bone to “grow into” the implant) before the hip joint is able to bear full weight and walking without crutches is possible.

When is leg length discrepancy significant?

What to do if one leg is shorter than the other?

Small leg length difference can be observed or treated with a shoe lift. Larger leg length differences may require surgery. Options for this include slowing down or stopping the growth of the longer leg or lengthening the shorter leg.

Is there a surgery to fix leg length discrepancy in adults?

Leg shortening is employed when LLD is severe and when a patient has already reached skeletal maturity. The actual surgery is called an osteotomy , which entails the removal of a small section of bone in the tibia (shinbone) and sometimes the fibula as well, resulting in the loss of around an inch in total height.

Is it normal to have one leg shorter after hip replacement?

Leg length discrepancy following total hip replacement surgery is a possible complication of the surgical procedure. Most often, subtle leg length discrepancies are well tolerated and people can adapt to these differences.