I had a hip replacement 2 years ago and I am still limping? Saw the Specialist who said my left leg was 1 cm longer than the operated side. She never measured me - just guessed it was 1 cm - the mystery is this - why do ALL my skirts dip about 13 cm on the left side????
Any clues??
Regards
Jean
I am also struggling with a leg discrepancy. My surgeon never measures me either but just guessed about 1 cm. I knew it was more, the physio measured my feet when I laid down and thought it was about 4cms. So I have been left to sort it out myself. Buying different inserts for my shoes and seeing what feels most comfortable and lessens the pain in my hip on my non operated side. To walk without an insert then I do limp quite badly. It is my operated leg that is the longest. I mostly always wear trousers so I haven’t notice if my skirt dips one side but I may try it now.
I too had the same reaction from my surgeon and his team, not our problem, even my GP said you cannot be right, I claimed I had a lot more leg immediately after the surgery, but instead of checking they left me to cope on my own.
Weeks later after making a real nuisance of myself with my local GP I begged him by me saying to him lets get this sorted out once and for all with an x-ray, and then I will shut up if I am wrong, and I will stop nagging you.
the x-ray is called a LONG LEG X-RAY, from above the waist down to the floor, and then they measure each and every bone.
Even the x-ray tech, said come and look at this, he was amazed, and gave me the measurement's then and there, 22mm or 3/4 inch difference.
Complicated by a longer leg below the knee on the same side naturally, but because I had grown with it my entire life, unaware, it did not have to be adjusted for, but should have been taken into consideration and identified before my surgery, not added to.
I wear a shoe lift insert that lifts my opposite foot about 10mm which is enough for me to relieve back pain, runners have been adjusted by same by adding another layer of sole, dress court shoes with kitten heels, at 66 you don't wear high heels anyway, left shoe down 5mm and right shoe up 5mm, has worked for me, but at $45.00AUD a pair, not cheap, I now have only about 4 pairs of shoes that I wear regularly.
Jean-
It's a combination of factors. One, even normal, healthy, people have different-sized legs; it's just a fact. For people with bad hips, well, one goes before the other; and on the bad side, the overall disease and destruction leads to a shorter leg. Finally, in the operating room, it's easy for the surgeon, even if motivated to give the patient even-length legs, to misjudge relative leg lengths, and just extend the bad side a tad. A common rationale is that, a bit tight on the connecting tissues lessens the chance of post-op dislocation.
Your 1 cm difference is just enough to be bothersome without looking into lifts or inserts. As for the 13 cm skirt dip, I am afraid I have no idea. Maybe your backbone/sacroiliac has some odd twists. Best to see a physical therapist.
I have had multiple hip surgeries on one side, so I am a bit short there. I have to shop around for shoes that the local shoemaker can build up. If I try to walk using unmodified shoes, I limp badly, and get tired out. On the other hand, I am on my feet; grateful to move around.
Hope this helps.
Thanks for all the info. Yes, I have started wearing a corset - prescribed to help with the back/hip pain and it has eased the pain but still not the limp. I have bought some plastic shoe lifts that interlock so at the moment trial and error with the correct height??
Regards
Jean
Hi Lyn, thanks for replying. I have bought some plastic shoe lifts that interlock to get the correct height - at the trial error stage at the moment - maybe these will correct the sagging skirt hem??
Regards
Jean
Hi Laura, why do these so called experts guess at leg length? I notice Prince Philip walks limp free and without a cane after his hip op and he's over 90?????
Regards
Jean
From my research about leg length, natural leg length discrepancy on average are between 1mm and 5-7mm, my left leg has a discrepancy of 10mm below my knee, but because I grew with it my entire life never picked up, although a warning sign was, everybody used to say I ran like a duck, self explanatory now.
I also was told by junior surgeon after complaining bitterly that my hip when it was installed was too loose as you said and had to be lengthened to get the right amount of tight in tendons, what they did not take into account, was my tendons in the back of my hips have always been loose.
Always been able to fold myself up at the hips with head on knees my entire life like a rag doll, demonstrated to the surgeon when my first hip was done, he was horrified, that I could even do it, did the 2nd hip surgeon not read the previous surgeons notes that I had loose hamstrings, hope I have the name of tendon right, but have never been able to sit cross legged on the floor, knees up in the air, still remember a school teacher saying knees down and grabbed my knee and pushed, all she did was tip me over on my side, never suggested knees down again.
Hi Jean
i noticed the same thing with Prince Philip. They obviously took more care and had the best surgeon. Just goes to show doesn’t it?
The physio who has a private room at my doctor’s surgery was called up to do the physio for Prince Philip. The one thing he was asked was to get him walking without a stick for the wedding. Mind you I think it took it out of him, as he is not living in Windsor Castle but in one of the houses on the estate which I assume is easier to get around in. I did see a photo of him recently and he looked dreadful.
Hi, I didn't know this? Maybe it was a case of too much too soon eh!
Regards
Jean