Our aim was to highlight that there is a sub-group of patients with disabling symptoms after leg lengthening at primary hip replacement who benefit from revision surgery.

Most patients with an over lengthened limb after total hip arthroplasty are either asymptomatic or find it an inconvenience which can often be treated with a shoe raise. A minority, however, find this severely debilitating, patients describing that the leg “feels long”, with pain felt around the hip, difficulty sitting and limited function. It is this sub-group of patients that we feel benefit from revision surgery to equalise leg lengths.

We report on 8 cases (6 female; 2 male) that underwent revision surgery for leg lengthening over a 7 year period . The mean leg length difference was 14.3mm (range 10-20mm). Five patients had revision of the stem only and the remaining 3 both cup and stem. Time to revision varied from 8 months to 3 years. We outline our method of radiological measurement of leg length after total hip arthroplasty, using the centre of hip rotation as the reference point. Individual cases are discussed with radiographs highlighting the typical clinical features and this radiological technique.

All patients reported an immediate improvement in their symptoms following revision surgery and have remained pleased with the outcome at their latest follow up.

Leg lengthening as a result of total hip arthroplasty is well recognised but its treatment remains controversial. There is a sub-group of patients who are particularly sensitive to over lengthening, often of short stature. We reiterate that this revision surgery is beneficial to the patient with a lengthened leg ONLY if they have significant symptoms and limitation of function. Our small series emphasises the need to recognise this group of patients who can achieve a successful outcome after revision surgery.