Patient-dependent risk factors for self-perceived leg length discrepancy after total hip arthroplasty

Purpose Patients with equal objective leg length discrepancy (LLD) may have different subjective perceptions of this condition. Our aim was to analyze the effects of gender, age, operated side, surgical approach, body height, body mass index (BMI) and LLD measurements on self-perceived LLD after total hip arthroplasty (THA). Materials and methods Observational cohort study with minimum 5-year follow-up included 159 patients with unilateral primary THA at a single institution, who reported subjective feeling of equal or unequal leg lengths after THA. Gender, age, body height, BMI, surgical approach, preoperative and postoperative absolute/relative/pelvic radiographic LLD measurements were included in direct comparison between groups and multivariate analyses with self-perceived LLD as the outcome variable. Results Out of 159 participants, 39% subjectively perceived postoperative LLD, while others reported equal leg lengths. The two groups postoperatively differed in the median relative LLD (10 mm vs. 5 mm; p = 0.01) and WOMAC (230 mm vs. 110 mm; p