Abstract
Background: Mild leg length discrepancy can lead to musculoskeletal disorders; however, the magnitude starting from which leg length discrepancy alters the biomechanics of gait or benefits from treatment interventions is not clear.Research question: The aim of the current study was to examine the immediate effects of orthotic insoles on gait symmetry and pain on mild leg length discrepancy according to two groups of the leg length discrepancy (i.e., LLD ≤ 1 cm vs. LLD > 1 cm).Methods: Forty-six adults with mild leg length discrepancy were retrospectively included and classified into two groups (GLLD≤1cm or GLLD>1cm). All subjects underwent routine 3D gait analysis with and without orthotic insoles. The symmetry index was calculated to assess changes in gait symmetry between the right and left limbs. Pain was rated without (in standing) and with the orthotic insoles (after 30 min of use) on a visual analog scale.Results: There was a significant improvement in the symmetry index of the pelvis in the frontal plane (p = 0.001) and the ankle in the sagittal plane (p = 0.010) in the stance with the orthotic insoles independent from the group. Pain reduced significantly with the orthotic insoles independently from the group (p < 0.001).Significance: Orthotic insoles significantly improved gait symmetry in the pelvis in the frontal plane and the ankle in the sagittal plane, as well as pain in all subjects (both LLD ≤ 1 cm and LLD > 1 cm) suggesting that it may be appropriate to treat even mild leg length discrepancy.
Highlights
Leg length discrepancy (LLD) can be either caused by anatomical deformities originating from true differences in the bony structures of the lower limb, or it may be functional, resulting from abnormal lower limb movements (Khamis and Carmeli, 2018)
The aim of this study was to evaluate the immediate effect of Orthotic Insoles (OI) on gait kinematics and pain in subjects with mild LLD according to two groups of the leg length discrepancy
This study contributes to a better understanding of the effect of OI on gait kinematics observed in subjects with mild LLD
Summary
Leg length discrepancy (LLD) can be either caused by anatomical deformities originating from true differences in the bony structures of the lower limb, or it may be functional, resulting from abnormal lower limb movements (Khamis and Carmeli, 2018). Some authors classify discrepancies ≤2.0 cm as mild (Moseley, 1996), while others consider discrepancies of up to 3.0 cm as mild (Reid and Smith, 1984; McCaw and Bates, 1991; Gurney, 2002; Brady et al, 2003; Campbell et al, 2018). These classifications are intended to guide practitioners in the treatment of LLD, but there is much. Research question: The aim of the current study was to examine the immediate effects of orthotic insoles on gait symmetry and pain on mild leg length discrepancy according to two groups of the leg length discrepancy (i.e., LLD ≤ 1 cm vs. LLD > 1 cm)
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