Can You Have One Leg That’s Longer Than the Other? Leg Length Discrepancies Explained
Key takeaways:
You can have one leg that’s longer than the other. This is called a leg length discrepancy.
About half of people have mild differences between their leg lengths. Leg length discrepancies don’t cause problems until they’re bigger than 2 cm.
Orthotics or surgery can correct leg length discrepancies if they’re causing problems with walking and movement.
Table of contents
If you’ve ever felt like one of your legs is longer than the other, you’re not imagining it. About half of all people have a leg length discrepancy — a condition where one leg is slightly longer than the other.
But is it something you should worry about? Here’s what to know about leg length discrepancy.
What is leg length discrepancy?
A leg length discrepancy describes a situation where one leg is longer than the other.
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It seems obvious that your legs should be the same length. But it turns out that your legs aren’t twins. In fact, it’s fairly common for one to be slightly longer than the other. Leg length discrepancies can develop for many reasons, including:
Bone damage: Bone growth comes from growth plates. Damage to the growth plate can change how bones develop and grow. This can lead to a shorter femur (thigh bone) or tibia (shin bone), and a leg length discrepancy. Damage can come from injuries, infection, or surgery.
Tendon or ligament changes: Injury or inflammation can cause shortening of the tendons or ligaments in the joints of the lower legs. This can cause a joint to pull on a bone. In these situations, leg length discrepancies are from changes in bone alignment and not bone length.
What are the signs and symptoms of leg length discrepancy?
Many people don’t have any symptoms because often a leg length discrepancy doesn't cause any issues. Slight differences in leg lengths don’t affect the way you walk and move. In fact most people don’t even know their legs are different lengths, unless someone takes the time to measure them.
But when the difference gets to about 2 cm, leg length discrepancies can lead to:
Low-back pain
Scoliosis (spinal curvature)
Limp
Joint pain
Arthritis
How are leg length discrepancies diagnosed?
Leg length discrepancy can be diagnosed using one or several of the following methods:
Physical exam: Your healthcare professional will take measurements of your legs from several points, including your hip and knee. Comparing the measurements on both sides can show whether you have a leg length discrepancy.
Gait analysis: A gait analysis can show whether you have a slight limp or if you walk on your toes. Formal gait analysis can also show whether these gait changes can have an impact on your mobility over time.
Imaging studies: Imaging studies like X-rays and CT scans can be used to help evaluate a leg length discrepancy.
Can leg length discrepancy be corrected?
Yes. There are treatments that can help balance your gait and improve your mobility if you have a leg length discrepancy. But you don’t need treatment if you only have a small difference in your leg lengths and it isn’t causing any symptoms.
Some treatment options include:
Orthotics: Orthotics are a popular option for leg length discrepancy treatment. These items help even out leg lengths without surgery or invasive medical procedures. They’re often inexpensive. Orthotics options include shoe lifts, which are an item you can put inside your shoe. It adds extra height to your shorter leg. It’s an option for people with leg length discrepancies of up to 5 cm. You can get measured for a custom shoe lift so that your lift is exactly the right size for you. There are also other types of custom orthotics shoes that come with built-in shoe lifts.
Physical therapy: Physical therapy can help stretch ligaments and tendons. This can help loosen your joints so they’re not putting so much tension on your bones.
Surgery: Surgery is an option for leg length discrepancies that are affecting movement. There are options to stop bone growth, shorten bone, or lengthen bone.
The bottom line
Leg length discrepancies are common. But many people won’t have issues unless the difference between their leg lengths is larger than 2 cm. There are treatment options to help even leg lengths like shoe inserts and physical therapy. Surgery is an option for people with leg length discrepancy that affects daily activity.
Why trust our experts?
References
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. (2021). Lower limb length discrepancy. OrthoInfo.
Gross R. H. (1978). Leg length discrepancy: How much is too much? Orthopedics.
Khamis, S., et al. (2017). A new concept for measuring leg length discrepancy. Journal of Orthopaedics.
Quinones, D., et al. (n.d.). Leg length discrepancy (LLD).
