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(Reference retrieved automatically from SciELO through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Is structural and mild leg length discrepancy enough to cause a kinetic change in runners' gait?

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Author(s):
Carla Sonsino Pereira [1] ; Isabel de Camargo Neves Sacco [2]
Total Authors: 2
Affiliation:
[1] Universidade de São Paulo. Faculdade de Medicina. Departamento de Fonoaudiologia, Fisioterapia e Terapia Ocupacional
[2] Universidade de São Paulo. Faculdade de Medicina. Departamento de Fonoaudiologia, Fisioterapia e Terapia Ocupacional
Total Affiliations: 2
Document type: Journal article
Source: Acta Ortopédica Brasileira; v. 16, n. 1, p. 28-31, 2008-00-00.
Abstract

Leg length discrepancy (LLD) affects about 70% of the general population, and can be either structural - when the difference occurs in bone structures - or functional, because of mechanical changes at the lower limbs. The discrepancy can be also classified by its magnitude into mild, intermediate, or severe. Mild LLD has been particularly associated with stress fracture, low back pain and osteoarthritis, and when the discrepancy occurs in subjects whose mechanical loads are increased by their professional, daily or recreational activities, these orthopaedic changes may appear early and severely. The aim of this study was to analyze and compare ground reaction force (GRF) during gait in runners with and without mild LLD. Results showed that subjects with mild LLD of 0.5 to 2.0 cm presented higher values of minimum vertical GRF (0.57 ± 0.07 BW) at the shorter limb compared to the longer limb (0.56 ± 0.08 BW) Therefore, subjects with mild LLD adopt compensatory mechanisms that cause additional overloads to the musculoskeletal system in order to promote a symmetrical gait pattern as showed by the values of absolute symmetric index of vertical and horizontal GRF variables. (AU)