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Chiropractic & Manual Therapies
Published in: Chiropractic & Manual Therapies 1/2005

Open Access 01-12-2005 | Review

Anatomic and functional leg-length inequality: A review and recommendation for clinical decision-making. Part I, anatomic leg-length inequality: prevalence, magnitude, effects and clinical significance

Author: Gary A Knutson

Published in: Chiropractic & Manual Therapies | Issue 1/2005

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Abstract

Background

Leg-length inequality is most often divided into two groups: anatomic and functional. Part I of this review analyses data collected on anatomic leg-length inequality relative to prevalence, magnitude, effects and clinical significance. Part II examines the functional "short leg" including anatomic-functional relationships, and provides an outline for clinical decision-making.

Methods

Online database – Medline, CINAHL and MANTIS – and library searches for the time frame of 1970–2005 were done using the term "leg-length inequality".

Results and Discussion

Using data on leg-length inequality obtained by accurate and reliable x-ray methods, the prevalence of anatomic inequality was found to be 90%, the mean magnitude of anatomic inequality was 5.2 mm (SD 4.1). The evidence suggests that, for most people, anatomic leg-length inequality does not appear to be clinically significant until the magnitude reaches ~ 20 mm (~3/4").

Conclusion

Anatomic leg-length inequality is near universal, but the average magnitude is small and not likely to be clinically significant.
Appendix
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Metadata
Title
Anatomic and functional leg-length inequality: A review and recommendation for clinical decision-making. Part I, anatomic leg-length inequality: prevalence, magnitude, effects and clinical significance
Author
Gary A Knutson
Publication date
01-12-2005
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Chiropractic & Manual Therapies / Issue 1/2005
Electronic ISSN: 2045-709X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1746-1340-13-11

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