Leg length descrepancy

Hi Mike, That happened to me when i had my first THR put as I started doing physical therapy and walking which you will in the next few weeks . My legs balanced out just give yourself some more time to heal things will work out .

Take care let us know how your doing

Jackie

1 inch seems like a long way to go. I have been walking without a cane, and no pain, and it's a weird feeling. I see doc tomorrow for 2 week checkup, anxious to see what he says.

Hi Mike, I had my THR in October 14 and when measured the nurse told me I was 5.2" on the op. side but 5" on the unop. side.  As I was 5'2" when I was younger and my other hip and knee have worn I think it is now the correct size so I have a uplift in my shoe to compensate.  I think once the other hip is done I will be equal again, even the chiropractor said it would make a difference, but until I am in pain with it they won't operate so I will have to wait, as it is I am having a knee replacement in the same leg as the THR so just hope it doesn't make it any longer.  As the surgeon when you go for a check up and he will arrange for the uplift for you.

Good luck, Valerie

Hi Mike, same thing happened to me following my THR in October 2014, also about 1inch.  It has lessened a bit in these months since I've been back fully active but not gone completely. My surgeon tells me it will even out when I have the other one done (I hope not for a year at least!) and I can see why there is the discrepancy when I see the images of the two sides.  In the meantime I have a heel-raise in my shoe for the non-operated leg. It works fine but I still do exercises to try and balance out the pelvis.

good luck with it

whalies

Amputate your foot of course....

seriously, it take ages for things to even up. How can such a surgery be precise as there's swelling and everything out of place. It kind of finds it's own level and there is no exact time frame. Sometimes if you're lucky it will be identical, other people find they have 1/2or 1 cm.  mine started as more than an inch and now, well, I can't tell as my socket is too huge fir my body and therefore my posture hasn't stabilised to one position... The operated hip is wider and thrown my skeleton out so I wear a raise in one shoe. You do get used to the asymmetry as there's not much else to be done. The body adapts to a lot of assaults to it. You're early days

There's actual length discrepencies and then there's apparent discrepancies (perceived or caused by muscles, distortion, etc)

My surgeon was very clear to tell me that my legs were the same length after surgery. glad he did because it's taken months and months to rebalance out and the thing that helped the most was getting back on my skis as you must weight both of them evenly or one just flops around. 

I do think those of us who either have the apparent discrepency (the majority I'm told) and those poor souls who do get a length difference, are in for a longer road to recovery than those whose bodies aren't all skewed and screwed up.

I had my thr (right side) on December 9th last year and have struggled ever since with a leg length discrepancy, until, last week, a friend suggested I go to a sports masseur who had helped her with a problem. I went, and through very targetted loosening off of the muscles in my lower back and some manipulation of the operated side leg) I am now walking almost completely normally. 

Because of 'muscle memory' I will have to go for a couple more appointments to top up the treatment, but the expectation is that after three treatments the muscles should stay relaxed and most of the problem will be sorted once and for all. 

Basically, over the years of pain and limping due to the arthritic hip, the muscles in my back that support the pelvis had tightened up, particularly on the right side. Once they are relaxed, the pelvic tilt causing most of the perceived leg length discrepancy goes.  My specialist and physio had both said I should either learn to live with it or wear an orthotic in the opposite shoe, but I knew in my gut that there was something not right and I am really glad I followed my instincts.  To be walking around this weekend almost normally has been amazing.

Also have leg longer than the other.  Get very bad pain in the lower back ( on the side of the hip replacement).  Surgeon told me 5 mos ago to give it time to settle and it might come back.  Because of the pain I rigged up my own lifts for my sandels and sneakers.  It's ok but not perfect.  When I go back for my 6 mo. Checkup we will discuss this.  Btw, I also have curvature of the spine which has always caused one hip to be higher than the other.

Had doc appnt yesterday, he told me my 1 inch leg discrepancy was in part due to my knee replacement and the remainder would get better over time. This is my 1st THR and his 5000th !!!! I guess I will have to trust him and wait it out. In the meantime I am trying various inserts and lifts in my shoe to try and even things off.

time will tell...