Limb Length Inequality
Due to a variety of reasons, one limb can be shorter than the other. In the upper limb, as long as there are no other conditions, this does not lead to any functional deficit so intervention is rarely required. In the lower limbs however, a limb length difference of more than 2 cm leads to a recognisable limp and may cause hip and back pain.
Your surgeon will take a history and try to find out the cause of the difference in limb length. In some cases, e.g. neurofibromatosis, the longer leg is the one with a problem. Majority of the time, however, it is the shorter one which has pathology, e.g. after trauma/infection, fibula hemimelia etc. An X-ray of the lower limbs will then be taken and a differential diagnosis arrived at.
- Foot & Ankle
- Hip
- Knee
- Anterior Cruciate Ligament Rupture
- Medial Collateral Ligament Tear
- Meniscus Tears
- Osteoarthritis of the Knee
- Patella (Knee Cap) Dislocation
- Patella Chrondromalacia
- Patella Tendonitis
- Posterior Cruciate Ligament Injury
- Shoulder
- Acromio-clavicular joint pathology
- Biceps tendinopathy
- Frozen Shoulder
- Impingement
- Instability and shoulder dislocation
- Osteoarthritis
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Rotator cuff tear
- Scapular Dyskinesia
- Septic Arthritis
- Spine
- Paediatric Orthopaedics