title: The impact of leg length discrepancy on clinical outcome of total hip arthroplasty: comparison of four measurement methods.
abstract: In a single-surgeon series of 119 patients with unilateral primary uncemented total hip arthroplasty, four leg-length discrepancy measurement methods (absolute, relative, trochanteric, standardized-trochanteric) were analyzed for their impact on WOMAC score, Oxford Hip Score and self-perceived leg-length discrepancy. After adjustment for age, gender and BMI, postoperative WOMAC scores correlated only with clinical absolute measurements of leg elongation (P=0.05). Self-perceived leg-length discrepancy corresponded best to the clinically measured relative leg-length discrepancy (11 mm perceived vs. 7 mm unperceived; P=0.04) while there was no significant correspondence with radiographic measurements or leg elongation magnitudes. Within the <10 mm range of mean postoperative leg length discrepancy in the studied series, its impact on the overall clinical satisfaction was detectable but not considerable.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Matej
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Keršič
authors.forename: Drago
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dolinar
authors.forename: Vane
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Antolič
authors.forename: Blaž
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mavčič
mesh_terms: D019644:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip / Q000379:methods*; D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D006621:Hip Joint / Q000601:surgery*; D006622:Hip Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D007866:Leg / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D007870:Leg Length Inequality / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011859:Radiography; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: arthroplasty; hip; leg length inequality; patient outcome assessment