Unequal leg length

Unequal leg length
A girl with a congenital, structural difference in leg lengths is walking in a clinic.
Classification and external resources
Specialty	rheumatology
ICD-10	M21.7
ICD-9-CM	736.81, 755.30
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Unequal leg length (also termed leg length inequality, LLI or leg length discrepancy, LLD) is where the legs are either different lengths or appear to be different lengths because of misalignment.

There are two main types of leg length inequalities:

The most common treatment for discrepancies in leg length is the use of a simple heel lift, which can be placed within the shoe. In cases where the length discrepancy is moderate, an external build up to the shoe is usually more comfortable. In severe cases, surgery can be used to make the longer leg shorter (or impede its growth), and/or make the shorter leg longer.

Although prone "functional leg length" is a widely used chiropractic tool in their Activator technique, it is not a recognized anthropometric technique, since legs are usually of unequal length, and measurements in the prone position are not entirely valid estimates of standing X-ray differences. Measurements in the standing position are far more reliable. Another confounding factor is that simply moving the two legs held together and leaning them imperceptibly to one side or the other produces different results.

Clinical measurement of leg length conventionally uses the distance from the anterior superior iliac spine to the medial malleolus.Projectional radiographic measurements of leg length have two main variants:

On X-rays, the length of the lower limb can be measured from the proximal end of femoral head to the center of the plafond of the distal tibia.

As unequal leg length may contribute to a tilted pelvis, this may contribute to lower back pain.

A hypothesis is that the lower back pain caused by a tilted pelvis, easily may be mistaken for menstrual pain, as women with lower back pain experience increased pain during their periods.

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