Acıbadem Taksim Hospital Orthopedics and Traumatology Specialist Prof. Dr. Levent Eralp made statements about short legs (limb) in children and made important warnings and suggestions.
prof. Dr. Levent Eralp says:
“In the so-called short leg problem, we are talking about the entire limb from the hip to the toe. There may be a disorder that causes a single leg shortness in one or more parts of the body. A study conducted in America reveals a striking fact; A public health officer is appointed to high schools by the state. When female staff examine all female students visually, they find that many of them have back curvatures that had never been noticed before. Thus, the rate of scoliosis, which is 4-5 percent, suddenly increases approximately 3 times. In other words, in some skeletal system changes or disorders, there may be inconspicuous problems that the family does not care about because they do not interfere with daily life. However, since these tend to increase in childhood, diagnosis should not be delayed. The problem with scoliosis also applies to the shortness of one leg.”
Stating that there is a difference in length between the right and left legs or arms, it is called short limb. Dr. Levent Eralp said that a length difference of less than 5 cm between the arms will not cause any impairment of use, except for appearance, therefore, short limbs can cause various problems when experienced mostly in the legs.
The shortness of one leg; Stating that congenital bone diseases, previous accidents, bone inflammations in childhood, rheumatic or neurological diseases can cause. Dr. Levent Eralp said, "Look carefully at your child's footprints," and explained as follows:
“In order to realize single leg shortness, which is a common problem in our society, parents should carefully look at their children's bodies during the winter bath and compare both footprints after they come out of the bath! The child comes out of the bathroom and steps on the floor with wet feet, but the footprints of both feet are not the same. If you don't pay attention you will miss it, but if you pay attention you will see it. Or, if the prints of the two feet of the child are different from each other while walking on the beach in the summer, you can detect that the child has one leg shortness. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to the footprints of the child and whether there is any limping, especially when walking slowly.”
Saying that parents should not try to measure their children's legs with a tape measure, because this would be misleading, Prof. Dr. Levent Eralp emphasized that they should only observe and consult a doctor when necessary.
Orthopedics and Traumatology Specialist Prof. Dr. Levent Eralp explained the treatment methods of single leg shortness up to 2 cm, between 2-5 cm and over 5 cm:
“For height differences of less than 2 cm in the legs, the most appropriate treatment is to eliminate the height difference with reinforcements to be made into or under the shoes of the shorter side. In the difference between 2-5 cm, surgical treatment is necessary. In this case, in children, either the short side is lengthened or the elongation of the long side is slowed down in order to equalize the length of the two limbs. The physician should decide on the appropriate technique by evaluating factors such as the underlying disease and the time remaining for height growth. If it is more than 5 cm; It is absolutely necessary to lengthen the short side, but the technique should be decided with the evaluations of the physician.”
Emphasizing that the difference in leg length, even if it is shorter than 2 cm, can cause low back pain complaints, Prof. Dr. Levent Eralp “Ankle, knee, hip and waist are basically like gear wheels working in harmony with each other, they work in an orderly manner. However, if one of these gears does not rotate in harmony with the others, it wears the teeth of the others over time. Therefore, even shortnesses of less than 2 cm that do not require surgical treatment can cause low back pain and joint calcification over time. warned.
Stating that parents should pay attention to the well-known mistakes and stay away from them in case of single leg shortness in their children, Prof. Dr. Levent Eralp, for example; He warned that methods such as jumping rope, playing hopscotch, and swinging one foot forward do not have any effect on leg lengthening, on the contrary, they may lead to a delay in treatment.
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