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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Sports Med Int Open 2017; 1(05): E183-E187
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-117600
Orthopedics & Biomechanics
Eigentümer und Copyright ©Georg Thieme Verlag KG 2017

Does Intensive Soccer Playing During the Growth Period Lead to Leg Length Discrepancies?

Jean-Luc Guer
1   Laboratoire de Biomécanique Appliquée, Aix-Marseille Univ, IFSTTAR, LBA UMR_T24, Marseille, France
2   Wizwedge SARL, Research Department, Marseille, France
,
Sylvain Blanchard
1   Laboratoire de Biomécanique Appliquée, Aix-Marseille Univ, IFSTTAR, LBA UMR_T24, Marseille, France
,
Marta Catalina Harnagea
2   Wizwedge SARL, Research Department, Marseille, France
,
Eric Lopez
2   Wizwedge SARL, Research Department, Marseille, France
,
Michel Behr
1   Laboratoire de Biomécanique Appliquée, Aix-Marseille Univ, IFSTTAR, LBA UMR_T24, Marseille, France
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

received 20 February 2017
revised 23 June 2017

accepted 05 July 2017

Publication Date:
15 September 2017 (online)

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Abstract

Leg length discrepancies (LLD) are a common reason for podiatry consultations and can affect up to 90% of the overall population. Furthermore, it is widely recognized that intensive participation in certain sports can alter bone development. The aim of this study is to explore any possible relation between playing soccer and the appearance or evolution of LLD, by means of a retrospective study based on the analysis of case reports of patients followed for foot or plantar troubles. Case reports were selected in the archives of a podiatric clinic for the period between 2002 and 2016 among patients who declared regular to intensive soccer playing, aged 13 years or more. LLD was detected in the vast majority of cases (95 cases out of 104). Pearson correlation coefficients were computed and revealed a strong correlation between the laterality of the kicking limb and that of the shorter leg. The shorter limb was on the side of the kicking leg in 96% of the cases when considering the players who began practice before the age of 13, and only 53% of the cases for others. Intensive soccer playing at a young age may encourage the appearance and evolution of a real LLD.

Key word

limb length discrepancy - soccer - growth plate - lower extremity
 

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