Unequal leg length | |
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A girl with a congenital, structural difference in leg lengths walking in a clinic. | |
Specialty | Rheumatology |
Unequal leg length (also termed leg length inequality, LLI or leg length discrepancy, LLD) is often a disabling condition where the legs are either different lengths (structurally), or appear to be different lengths, because of misalignment (functionally).
Unequal leg length with a small degree of difference is very common; small inequalities in leg length may affect 40%–70% of the human population. It has been estimated that at least 0.1% of the population have a difference greater than 20 mm (0.79 in). As of June 2024[update], that is approximately 8.1 million people total in the human population.[1]
LLD is a relatively common problem found in as many as 40 [1] to 70% [2] of the population. In a retrospective study, it was found that LLD of greater than 20 mm affects at least one in every 1000 people [3].