MORE compensations for short legs…
We remember from 2 weeks ago, the week before, AND last week, there at least SIX common compensations for a short leg.
We spoke about circumducting the long leg last time. Once again, here is the list
- pronation of the longer side, supination of the shorter
- leaning to he shorter leg side
- circumduction of the longer leg around the shorter
- hip hike on long leg side (seen as contraction of hip abductors, obliques and quadratus lumborum on short leg side)
- excessive ankle plantar flexion on short side
- excessive knee bend on the long leg side
Lets look at “hip hiking” of the longer extremity today. Hiking the hip allows one to create enough room (hopefully) to get that long leg through without dragging on the ground. Again, it makes no difference if the leg is functionally or structurally short, the body still needs a strategy to move around the longer leg.
This gal in the video has cerebral palsy (CP), affecting the left side. She has a short R leg and hikes the L pelvis pelvis up to get it to clear (she has L g med weakness due to the CP)
Watch the above video a few times to see what we are talking about. You can really see it when she is walking toward you.
Remember here is that what you are seeing is the compensation, not necessarily the problem. When one leg is shorter, something must be done to get the longer leg through swing phase.
Hip Hiking. Not quite the “Walk in the Woods” Bill Bryson was talking about, but yet another compensation for a short leg.
Ivo and Shawn. …bald, good looking, geeky…… The Gait Guys
