After an artificial hip replacement, patients sometimes notice a slight but annoying difference between the length of their legs. This difference in length can change the way a person walks. It can also make walking more difficult, requiring more effort. However, the amount of difference that begins to cause problems in an elderly person hasn't been firmly established. Researchers recently set out to find the answer.

It isn't uncommon for total hip arthroplasty and other surgical procedures to result in one slightly shorter limb. The authors of a recent study tried to determine how much of a problem leg length discrepancy is in the elderly by studying 44 healthy men and women age 55 to 86.

Small shoe lifts of varing heights were placed in the participant's shoes. Then they walked on a treadmill. Heart rate, muscle activity, oxygen use, and air exchange were monitored. 

Many people have a slight difference in the length of their legs. Researchers estimate that 40 to 70 percent of the population has one slightly shorter leg.

It can be, depending on how great the difference is and what physical condition the person is in. Researchers recently attempted to determine how much discrepancy could become a problem using a set of healthy participants age 55 to 86.

Small shoe lifts of varing heights were placed in the participant's shoes. Then they walked on a treadmill. Heart rate, muscle activity, oxygen use, and air exchange were monitored.

Hip fractures are costly accidents--both to society and to individuals. This Belgian study set out to put a number to that cost. Researchers located 159 women with a mean age of 79 who had suffered their first hip fracture. Researchers then recorded the women's medical history and medical costs for the hip fracture and over the following year.

Fractures to the legs and hips are one of the main reasons that people over 65 end up in the hospital. But not much is known about how these patients recover. This study followed 30 seniors who had leg fractures in accidents such as car crashes.

Researchers did physical tests of strength and range of motion and asked the subjects questions about their health, activities, and mental state. The subjects were tested an average of almost three years after their injuries.

There is evidence that limitations in hip flexibility could impair walking ability in the elderly. This increases the risk of falling. As you walk, the hip extends in the back leg. A new study showed that the hip joint doesn't extend as far back in the elderly as in younger people. Elderly people at a high risk for falls showed even less hip extension.

It's one thing to design prevention programs to help elderly people avoid a serious fall. It's another to figure out why some folks have have a greater risk of having such a fall. Knowing the root of the problem could help refine treatments and reduce the cost and suffering associated with falls.

Most doctors agree that patients who have had a total hip replacement should avoid playing high-impact sports such as tennis. In this recent study, over half of the doctors told their patients not to play tennis. A third recommended only doubles tennis. Only 14% said it would be okay for their patients to play singles tennis after the surgery.