4 cm leg length discrepancy in 11-yr. old congenital scoliosis patient - Back Problems Message Board

kippy6 · 10-27-2004, 07:06 AM

Hi. I posted this on the bone disorders site, and didn't get a response...Please help.

I took my daughter to a physical therapy evaluation on Monday b/c of a concern about her stride when running (she seemed to turn one foot in when running and walking), and also pain in only one leg (hip, groin, and knee). Also, her gait didn't seem quite right. Monday, they determined that one leg is 4 cm longer than the other. They discovered that even when she hops, one foot touches the floor before the other one. Also, they noticed that she was limping when she walked. I have never noticed this, as I thought she just had a more bouncy walk than others. It's a subtle thing, and hard to notice unless you are looking for it. She also has been standing on only one foot for a while...the other foot she just stands on her toes..

My daughter actually has birth defects in her vertebra (2 hemi-vertebrae - one in lumbar, and one in thoracic), and has missing ribs (not noticeable). She has had a 40 degree S curve since the age of 2 (when we first found her scoliosis by accident on x-ray). Also, One shoulder is lower than the other.

The physical therapist referred us to our orthopedist to talk about orthodics for my daughter (a shoe lift), however, I've read that a shoe lift won't help for a 4cm LLD.

Do you think that it's possible that her spinal curve has progressed past 40 degrees, and that this is causing a sudden LLD progression? She is always standing so that all her weight is on one foot now, and the other foot is not all the way on the ground. I didn't notice her doing this last year around the time she had her last scoliosis check-up. I believe her LLD is an "apparent LLD" since one hip is a little higher than the other. Now my worse fear is that she'll need a surgery to correct her leg length, and also a surgery for her back.

kippy6 · 10-28-2004, 06:37 AM

...Any congenital scoliosis patients out there who could please help me on this?

I would appreciate it so much.

ScolioChild · 07-14-2011, 09:39 AM

I have more or less the same problem. I am sixteen and have scoliosis which has degenerated rapidly in the past 3 years. Right now its a 32degree curve. When I was first diagnosed, I was told that my leg length discrepancy had nothing to do with the scoliosis, but recently I went to a new doctor and found that my legs are actually the same length. But there is a definite difference of 4.6cm (1.8 inches). My scoliosis also has my doctor's stumped, as it isnt behaving the way normal scoliosis should. The doctors want to operate but cannot think of an appropriate surgery that will fix both problems. If you find out anything about treating apparent LLD please let me know.

Thanks!

ibake&pray · 07-14-2011, 10:29 AM

Scolio-

Welcome to the board! I don't think that you will get any responses from the first poster as that post was written in 2004. If you look at the upper left above the name you will see the date of when it was posted.

You might want to post on the bone board and see if you get a response.
I wish you luck in getting your problem resolved!