Rheumatic disease aspects of leg length inequality.

Inequality of leg lengths is associated with low back pain, greater trochanteric bursitis, and degenerative hip disease. The pelvic obliquity that results from a discrepancy of leg lengths may contribute to degenerative changes in the lumbar spine. The diagnosis of leg length inequality may be overlooked. If this occurs, extensive and costly investigations are then often ordered to evaluate these secondary manifestations of leg length inequality. This is unfortunate because a simple shoe lift is all that was needed to provide symptomatic relief for selected patients.