Walking with Leg Length Discrepancy: The Biomechanical Effect of Anatomic and Functional Leg Length Discrepancy on Gait

This book reports the ensuing research and is comprised of several elements of the search for a comprehensive understanding of the effect of functional and anatomical leg length discrepancy on gait. It includes a literature review that defines leg length discrepancy, clinical relevance, measuring methods, and what is known regarding the influence of leg length discrepancy on pathological conditions and gait deviations. Gait kinematics and how it is affected by leg length discrepancy is thoroughly presented. A newly proposed dynamic concept of measuring leg length and leg length discrepancy during gait and its implementation is offered. This is an essential book for clinicians, not only those working in gait labs, but for all clinicians dealing with patients suffering from pain, asymmetry and gait deviations. It provides an in-depth understanding and evidence-based research on this important topic. Walking with leg length discrepancy contains material that has previously been published in peer reviewed journals and is noted within the text. The material presented in this book has been written as a part of the author’s PhD studies involving intensive research and clinical work concerning leg length discrepancy and gait. This book is comprised of several elements of the research into this topic: 1. To investigate the effect of LLD on kinematic gait deviations and to examine to what extent LLD changes occur in gait kinematics; to identify the most common gait deviations associated with LLD by establishing a systematic review. 2. To propose and evaluate a new dynamic concept of measuring LLD based on a gait model in both normal and pathological gait. 3. To evaluate the ability of the gait model to detect anatomical LLD. 4. To evaluate the validity of the proposed concept by assessing its ability to detect LLD on healthy subjects simulated with LLD. 5. To detect functional leg length discrepancy on patients presenting pathological gait deviations diagnosed with either anatomic LLD or anatomic LLD accompanying abnormal clinical findings and assess the correlations between dynamic leg length (DLL), gait deviations, and LLD in both groups of patients. Read more