Short leg syndrome, scientifically called lower limb dysmetry, is a situation in which one leg is shorter than the other and the difference between them can range from less than 1 cm to several centimeters. The greater the difference between the length of the two legs, the greater the discomfort of the person, since this ends up making the trip very difficult.
The short stretch can be classified as true or false. The actual short leg occurs when the leg bones are actually shorter, while the short false leg occurs when the length of the leg bones is the same, but there is a hip space.
- It is possible to treat the short leg leaving both of the same size.
- But treatments vary depending on its cause and therefore each case must be discussed personally with the orthopedist.
Generally, it is easier to identify that one leg is shorter than the other when the difference is greater than 2 cm, because the whole body is not aligned. When the difference is less than 2 cm, the simplest way is to put the person on his or her back and ask them to bend their knees. If one knee is higher than the other, the person may have one leg shorter than the other.
Another way to confirm the length of the legs is to measure with a tape measure or observe the hip level by placing the person on wooden platforms 1 to 5 cm high.
However, to confirm the diagnosis, it is very important to perform x-ray tests, which will also help identify the cause and better adapt treatment.
The sooner short leg syndrome is discovered and the sooner treatment is started, the greater the chances of recovery, especially if treatment is started in childhood.
When the difference between leg length is 0.5 cm or less, there is usually no need for treatment, and it is common for most people to have this difference in adulthood. However, when the difference is greater, treatment may be done with:
The orthopedist can indicate the difference in height between the legs in adult life, even when evaluating children, using a calculation indicating what the difference in height will be in the future. It is important to know this value because every time the person is more than 5 cm away, surgery is indicated.
Having one leg shorter than the other can cause health complications
All of these complications can be related to each other, as they are one of the shorter legs, the body will have to adopt incorrect compensatory postures, which over time can cause pain and inflammation.