![]() In underdevelopment, one of the two bones between the knee and the ankle is abnormally short. As the child grows, however, the discrepancy increases and becomes more noticeable. These conditions are usually present at birth, but the limb length difference may be too small to be detected early on. In some cases, the cause of limb length discrepancy is idiopathic, or unknown. Conditions that cause inflammation of the joints during growth, such as juvenile arthritis.Other causes of limb length discrepancy include: Bone Diseases (Dysplasias)Ĭertain bone diseases may cause limb length discrepancy, such as: This is especially true if the infection happens in infancy. ![]() Bone Infectionīone infections that occur in growing children may cause a significant limb length discrepancy. This type of overgrowth occurs most often in young children with femur fractures. In a child, a broken bone that does not involve the growth plate sometimes will grow faster for several years after healing, causing it to become longer than the bone on the opposite side. Alternatively, a break in a child's bone through the growth plate can cause permanent damage, which may slow or stop growth in that area, resulting in a shorter leg. It is also more likely to happen if the skin and muscle tissue around the bone were severely injured and exposed, as occurs in an open fracture. This is more likely to happen if the bone was broken in several places. Previous Trauma to a Bone in the LegĪ broken leg bone can lead to a limb length discrepancy if it heals in a shortened position. ![]() If illness or injury affect the growth plate, the bone may grow at a faster or slower rate than the bone on the opposite side. ![]()
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