Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Different length legs ups probability of developing arthritis

A recent study reported by the NY Times indicates that a difference in leg length (2 cm or more), seems to indicate a higher incidence of arthritis, particularly in the hips and knees.

The article does not specify what type of arthritis (the research abstract does), but this is only for osteoarthritis, not inflammatory arthritis like Rheumatoid or Psoriatic. This could be very useful to doctors in the future, however, since they may be able to identify patients that may develop osteoarthritis and start preventative measures such as using lifts shoes to alleviate the difference in leg length.

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