Die Anwendung von Beinlängentests spielt in der Chiropraktik als auch in der manuellen Medizin eine große Rolle. In den meisten Fällen ist beschrieben, dass Beinlängendifferenzen durch Subluxationen im Beckengürtel entstehen (Ausnahmen werden in Punkt 5.4 dargelegt). Diese These zu überprüfen und mit eigenen Erfahrungen abzugleichen, ist dem Autor schon seit geraumer Zeit ein Anliegen. Es ist auch zu klären, welche Art der Beckensubluxation zur Beinlängendifferenz (BLD) führt. Die Voraussetzungen für diese Untersuchung sind in der eigenen Praxis des Autors, im Haus der Chiropraktik gegeben, da alle Patienten ausschließlich nach Vorlage von Röntgenbildern behandelt werden. Diese werden in dem dafür entwickelten Programm X-Ray Solution vermessen und gespeichert. In der Sacro Occipital Technik (SOT) von Dr. M. B. DeJarnette DC, der Aktivator Technik, als auch der Thompson Terminal Point Technik (TTPT) wird auf der Seite des kurzen Beines von einem PI oder Ex Ilium ausgegangen. Als PI Ilium wird eine Beckenverschiebung nach posterior und inferior beschrieben. Referenzpunkt dafür ist die Spina iliaca posterior superior (SIPS). Verschiebt sich diese nach extern, so wird diese Subluxation als Ex Ilium bezeichnet. Je nach Technik werden aber vorher die Halswirbelsäule als Verursacher sowie eine bestimmte Art von Knie- und Fuß-Subluxationspattern ausgeschlossen.

by Agnes Kam-Kwan Chow Gardner. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1989. / Bibliography: leaves 136-144.

Head circumference and leg length are two important markers for disease outcomes in later life. It has been reported that head circumference values in childhood may be closely related to the brain development and future intellectual functioning. Short leg length in childhood is suggested to have association with an increasing risk of coronary heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Given the potential childhood length and adult disease linkage, it is important to identify the determinants of childhood head circumference and leg length. Breastfeeding is suggested to be a potential postnatal factor that affects head circumference and leg length. However, some studies examining impacts of breastfeeding on leg length and head circumference in childhood reported inconsistent or null findings, indicating that the association between breastfeeding, head circumference and leg length remains controversial. Here we reviewed several studies that investigated the relationship between breastfeeding, head circumference and leg length, and in some but not all studies there was controlling for the effects of other potential early life influences, including parental height, prenatal factors and other postnatal factors on head circumference and leg length. Collectively, the illustrations on these relationships would be useful in investigating the leg length/head circumferencelater disease outcomes associations. / text

Die Anwendung von Beinlängentests spielt in der Chiropraktik als auch in der manuellen Medizin eine große Rolle. In den meisten Fällen ist beschrieben, dass Beinlängendifferenzen durch Subluxationen im Beckengürtel entstehen (Ausnahmen werden in Punkt 5.4 dargelegt). Diese These zu überprüfen und mit eigenen Erfahrungen abzugleichen, ist dem Autor schon seit geraumer Zeit ein Anliegen. Es ist auch zu klären, welche Art der Beckensubluxation zur Beinlängendifferenz (BLD) führt. Die Voraussetzungen für diese Untersuchung sind in der eigenen Praxis des Autors, im Haus der Chiropraktik gegeben, da alle Patienten ausschließlich nach Vorlage von Röntgenbildern behandelt werden. Diese werden in dem dafür entwickelten Programm X-Ray Solution vermessen und gespeichert. In der Sacro Occipital Technik (SOT) von Dr. M. B. DeJarnette DC, der Aktivator Technik, als auch der Thompson Terminal Point Technik (TTPT) wird auf der Seite des kurzen Beines von einem PI oder Ex Ilium ausgegangen. Als PI Ilium wird eine Beckenverschiebung nach posterior und inferior beschrieben. Referenzpunkt dafür ist die Spina iliaca posterior superior (SIPS). Verschiebt sich diese nach extern, so wird diese Subluxation als Ex Ilium bezeichnet. Je nach Technik werden aber vorher die Halswirbelsäule als Verursacher sowie eine bestimmte Art von Knie- und Fuß-Subluxationspattern ausgeschlossen.

no / Leg length discrepancy (LLD) refers to the medical a condition where legs are of different lengths. This condition might affect gait and posture, and may lead to various orthopedic disorders that can have serious repercussions on the individual, be it physiological, psychological, social, economic, or ergonomic. In order to ameliorate the rehabilitation of individuals with LLD, it is imperative to understand the biomechanics of LLD in these individuals. Hence, the current study’s objective is to characterize the plantar pressures of individuals with Leg Length Discrepancy in comparison to those of asymptomatic individuals. This pilot study employs a pedar-x in-shoe pedobarograph system to gather the history of dynamic plantar pressures in one adult male individual with LLD and a representative adult normal volunteer with no diagnosed neurological or musculoskeletal disorders. The obtained results reveal quantifiable differences in the study metrics between the two individuals during walking. These results provide a proof-of-concept for this study, and may serve as diagnostic tools to better rehabilitate individuals with LLD and, thus, provide them with a better quality of life. Future work is to incorporate an extended study of 10 normal individuals versus 10 individuals with LLD, and includes both males and females, as well as both adults and adolescents.

Background: Running is one of the most popular branches of athletics. Running has several physiological benefits, such as a higher maximal oxygen consumption, increased muscle mass and reduced blood pressure. There have been plenty of discussions about what the most efficient running technique might be, should you use a short step length and a high step frequency or vice versa. It is generally known that you can increase your running speed by increasing your step frequency or your step length, and also both. However, maximal speed is achieved by increasing your step frequency rather than your step length. For endurance runners it is important to have a good running economy, because runners with a good running economy use less energy while running, and therefore require less oxygen than a runner with poor running economy. Previous research have not found any correlations between the length of the leg with step frequency or step length.  Aim: The aim of this study was to examine whether there are any significant correlations between the length of the leg in relation to the step frequency or the step length while running in different speeds.  Method: 15 trained males participated in this correlation study. All participants’ leg length were measured with a measuring tape. Three running trials, with the speeds of 12, 16 and 20 km/h were performed on a treadmill during 1 minute each. Between each trial the participants rested for 3 minutes. The trials were recorded with a video camera, and the participants individual step frequency, step length and heel or fore foot strike were collected. Persons coefficient of correlation test was used to analyze if there were any significant correlations between the length of the leg with step frequency and step length. Also a paired samples T test was performed to see if there was a significant increase between step frequency and step length with the speeds.  Result: There were no significant correlations (p>0,05) found between the length of the leg and the step frequency or the length of the leg and step length in any of the different speeds. The paired samples t-test showed a significant (p<0,001) increase in step frequency and step length with the different speeds.  Conclusion: In conclusion, according to the present study, there were no significant correlations found between the length of the leg with step frequency or step length, which is in consensus with previous research.  Therefore, it is not advisable to predict an individual’s step length based on their leg length. There are various factors involved in determining a person’s step length and step frequency, and this study showed that running speed is one important factor. This information may be useful for runners and their coaches to apply, so they avoid making interventions involving alternations in the runners step length based on their body dimensions, such as leg length.

Technological advances in physical activity measurement have increased the development and utilization of accelerometers and pedometers for assessing physical activity in controlled and free-living conditions. Individual differences in leg length, stride length and stride frequency may affect the reliability and validity of accelerometers in estimating energy expenditure. To address this theory, this thesis investigated the influence of leg length, stride length and stride frequency on accelerometer counts and energy expenditure using four accelerometers (AMP, Actical, MTI, and RT3) and one pedometer (Yamax). Eighty-six participants, age 8 to 40 (17.6 ± 8.0) years performed three ten-minute bouts of treadmill activity at self-selected speeds (4 to 12 km/h). Energy expenditure (kcal/min) was measured through expired gas analysis and used as the criterion standard to compare physical activity data from activity monitors. A 3 (models) x 2 (duplicates of each model) x 3 (speeds) x 7 (minutes) repeated measures ANOVA was used to assess intra-device, inter-device, and inter-model reliability. Coefficients of variation were calculated to compare within-device variation and between-device variation in accelerometer counts. Differences between measured and predicted energy expenditure were assessed across five height categories to determine the influence of leg length on the validity of accelerometer/pedometer data. Regression equations for each model were developed using mean activity counts/steps generated for each speed, adjusting for various predictor variables (i.e., age, weight, leg length). These were compared to model-specific equations to determine whether the addition of certain variables might explain more variance in energy expenditure. Leg length and stride frequency directly influenced variability in accelerometer data and thus predicted energy expenditure. At high speeds and stride frequencies counts began to level off in the Actical, however this did not occur in the other devices. Intra-device and inter-device variation in accelerometer counts was less than 10% and was lowest at very high speeds for the Actical, MTI, and RT3 (p<0.05). When compared to measured values, energy expenditure was consistently underestimated by the AMP, Actical, and Yamax models and consistently overestimated by the RT3 across speed. The MTI underestimated and overestimated energy expenditure depending on speed. Energy expenditure was both underestimated and overestimated to the greatest extent during the treadmill run for the tallest participants (p<0.05). Accelerometer counts or pedometer steps, when entered into regression equations with age, weight and leg length, explained from 85 to 94 % of the variance in measured energy expenditure, supporting the inclusion of these variables within manufacturer-based equations. These results suggest that individual differences in leg length and stride frequency affect the reliability and validity of accelerometer data and therefore must be controlled for when using accelerometry to predict energy expenditure.

Technological advances in physical activity measurement have increased the development and utilization of accelerometers and pedometers for assessing physical activity in controlled and free-living conditions. Individual differences in leg length, stride length and stride frequency may affect the reliability and validity of accelerometers in estimating energy expenditure. To address this theory, this thesis investigated the influence of leg length, stride length and stride frequency on accelerometer counts and energy expenditure using four accelerometers (AMP, Actical, MTI, and RT3) and one pedometer (Yamax). Eighty-six participants, age 8 to 40 (17.6 ± 8.0) years performed three ten-minute bouts of treadmill activity at self-selected speeds (4 to 12 km/h). Energy expenditure (kcal/min) was measured through expired gas analysis and used as the criterion standard to compare physical activity data from activity monitors. A 3 (models) x 2 (duplicates of each model) x 3 (speeds) x 7 (minutes) repeated measures ANOVA was used to assess intra-device, inter-device, and inter-model reliability. Coefficients of variation were calculated to compare within-device variation and between-device variation in accelerometer counts. Differences between measured and predicted energy expenditure were assessed across five height categories to determine the influence of leg length on the validity of accelerometer/pedometer data. Regression equations for each model were developed using mean activity counts/steps generated for each speed, adjusting for various predictor variables (i.e., age, weight, leg length). These were compared to model-specific equations to determine whether the addition of certain variables might explain more variance in energy expenditure. Leg length and stride frequency directly influenced variability in accelerometer data and thus predicted energy expenditure. At high speeds and stride frequencies counts began to level off in the Actical, however this did not occur in the other devices. Intra-device and inter-device variation in accelerometer counts was less than 10% and was lowest at very high speeds for the Actical, MTI, and RT3 (p<0.05). When compared to measured values, energy expenditure was consistently underestimated by the AMP, Actical, and Yamax models and consistently overestimated by the RT3 across speed. The MTI underestimated and overestimated energy expenditure depending on speed. Energy expenditure was both underestimated and overestimated to the greatest extent during the treadmill run for the tallest participants (p<0.05). Accelerometer counts or pedometer steps, when entered into regression equations with age, weight and leg length, explained from 85 to 94 % of the variance in measured energy expenditure, supporting the inclusion of these variables within manufacturer-based equations. These results suggest that individual differences in leg length and stride frequency affect the reliability and validity of accelerometer data and therefore must be controlled for when using accelerometry to predict energy expenditure.

Introdução: A discrepância no comprimento dos membros inferiores (DCMI) está associada a alterações biomecânicas na marcha e a uma grande variedade de desordens ortopédicas, que incluem uma possível sobrecarga do tendão tibial posterior. Neste sentido, hipotetizamos que há associação entre a presença de DCMI e disfunção do TTP. Objetivo: O presente estudo foi realizado para comparar a frequência e a magnitude de DCMI em um grupo com e outro sem disfunção do tendão tibial posterior (DTTP), bem como para relacionar características clínicas com a presença da doença. Modelo do estudo: Estudo caso-controle. Método: O estudo envolveu 118 pacientes com diagnóstico de DTTP atendidos entre janeiro de 2009 e setembro de 2012 e 118 voluntários controles pareados por gênero e raça. Através de escanometria radiográfica ou tomográfica, a frequência da DCMI, assim como a média da DCMI absoluta e a média da DCMI relativa foram comparadas entre os dois grupos. Resultados: A prevalência da DCMI e as médias da DCMI absoluta e da DCMI relativa foram significativamente maiores no grupo de casos (94,9%, 5,64 mm e 7,36% respectivamente) do que no grupo controle (79,7%, 3,28 mm e 4,18% respectivamente) (p<0.001). Conclusões: Os resultados deste estudo demonstram haver uma relação entre a DCMI e a presença de DTTP. Devido a importantes alterações biomecânicas geradas pela DCMI, esta é possivelmente um fator predisponente para o desenvolvimento da DTTP. / Background: Leg length discrepancy (LLD) is associated with a variety of orthopedic disorders and biomechanical gait changes that involve possible overload of the posterior tibial tendon (PTT). In view of the biomechanical disturbances induced by LLD, an association may exist between LLD and PTT dysfunction (PTTD). Purpose: To compare the frequency and magnitude of LLD between subjects with and without PTTD and ascertain whether associations exist between clinical features and presence of dysfunction. Study design: Casecontrol study. Methods: A total of 118 patients with a diagnosis of PTTD were seen between January 2009 and September 2012 and compared to 118 sex- and race-matched volunteers. The frequency of LLD, the mean absolute LLD and the mean relative LLD were measured by conventional (radiographic) or CT scanography and compared between cases and controls. Results: The prevalence of LLD and mean absolute and relative LLD values were significantly greater in the case group (94.9%, 5.64 mm and 7.36% respectively) than in the control group (79.7%, 3.28 mm and 4.18% respectively) (p<0.001). Conclusion: The findings of this study demonstrate a relationship between LLD and PTTD. In light of the major biomechanical changes it induces, LLD may be a predisposing factor for development of PTTD.

Introdução: A discrepância no comprimento dos membros inferiores (DCMI) está associada a alterações biomecânicas na marcha e a uma grande variedade de desordens ortopédicas, que incluem uma possível sobrecarga do tendão tibial posterior. Neste sentido, hipotetizamos que há associação entre a presença de DCMI e disfunção do TTP. Objetivo: O presente estudo foi realizado para comparar a frequência e a magnitude de DCMI em um grupo com e outro sem disfunção do tendão tibial posterior (DTTP), bem como para relacionar características clínicas com a presença da doença. Modelo do estudo: Estudo caso-controle. Método: O estudo envolveu 118 pacientes com diagnóstico de DTTP atendidos entre janeiro de 2009 e setembro de 2012 e 118 voluntários controles pareados por gênero e raça. Através de escanometria radiográfica ou tomográfica, a frequência da DCMI, assim como a média da DCMI absoluta e a média da DCMI relativa foram comparadas entre os dois grupos. Resultados: A prevalência da DCMI e as médias da DCMI absoluta e da DCMI relativa foram significativamente maiores no grupo de casos (94,9%, 5,64 mm e 7,36% respectivamente) do que no grupo controle (79,7%, 3,28 mm e 4,18% respectivamente) (p<0.001). Conclusões: Os resultados deste estudo demonstram haver uma relação entre a DCMI e a presença de DTTP. Devido a importantes alterações biomecânicas geradas pela DCMI, esta é possivelmente um fator predisponente para o desenvolvimento da DTTP. / Background: Leg length discrepancy (LLD) is associated with a variety of orthopedic disorders and biomechanical gait changes that involve possible overload of the posterior tibial tendon (PTT). In view of the biomechanical disturbances induced by LLD, an association may exist between LLD and PTT dysfunction (PTTD). Purpose: To compare the frequency and magnitude of LLD between subjects with and without PTTD and ascertain whether associations exist between clinical features and presence of dysfunction. Study design: Casecontrol study. Methods: A total of 118 patients with a diagnosis of PTTD were seen between January 2009 and September 2012 and compared to 118 sex- and race-matched volunteers. The frequency of LLD, the mean absolute LLD and the mean relative LLD were measured by conventional (radiographic) or CT scanography and compared between cases and controls. Results: The prevalence of LLD and mean absolute and relative LLD values were significantly greater in the case group (94.9%, 5.64 mm and 7.36% respectively) than in the control group (79.7%, 3.28 mm and 4.18% respectively) (p<0.001). Conclusion: The findings of this study demonstrate a relationship between LLD and PTTD. In light of the major biomechanical changes it induces, LLD may be a predisposing factor for development of PTTD.