Short leg syndrome

Short leg syndrome. If one lower extremity is shorter than the other, the sacrum and pelvis will tilt toward the lower side. This will cause the spine to eurve baek as it attempts to keep the head (and eyes) level. This condition is discussed in more detail in Chapter 68. 

What happens to symmetry of gait in short leg syndrome What happens to the comparative reversals of motions of lumbar rotation and lateral flexion if scoliosis is present Radiographs of patients with low back problems often show lateral flexion, rotation deformity of one lumbar... 

Structural scoliosis is discussed in Section IV, Chapter 45. Functional scoliosis is usually a cor-rectible problem that may be due to tense muscles on one side of the body, causing a "bowstring" effect on the spine. A frequent cause in the "normal" population is short leg syndrome. 

Short leg syndrome occurs when one leg is shorter or longer than the other. The frequency of the occurrence of a short leg is higher in persons with low back pain than in persons without low back pain, and the patients tend to be older. 

Once the diagnosis of short leg syndrome is suspected, the patient may be further evaluated with standing postural radiographs of the low back and femoral heads. These films are made with the patient standing erect, toes pointing forward, and the feet approximately 6 inches apart Equilibrium must be maintained as much as possible. A level floor is essential. 

Further investigation for a possible short leg syndrome was postponed at this lime, because it was fell lhat much of the pelvic lilt seen could have been secondary to the hip dysfunction. li... 

This is a typical history of unilateral osteoarthritis of the hip joint. The question of why the one joint was involved has not been answered. Because the patient had been an active tennis player, he could have had previous falls injuring the hip and had not recalled them. There could be an anatomical short leg syndrome present, which over the years could have created undue stress on the one hip joint with the resulting osteoarthritic changes. The original treatment and prescribed exercises should slow down the progression of the disease and reduce the symptom compiex. As soon as the regions motion is improved, it was pianned that a standing x-ray shouid be taken to evaiuate the possibility of a short leg syndrome. 

Ron Gui is sweet and warm, and enters the Kidney meridian. It can warm the Kidney-Yang and strengthen the fire of the vital gate. It is selected to treat the syndrome where the Kidney-Yang is too weak to grasp the Qi that descends from the Lung. The manifestations are cold back and lower abdomen, weakness of the legs, shortness of breath and a weak voice. 

An 87-year-old woman received intra-articular betamethasone (Diprophos) 7 mg on three occasions for painful knee joints over 6 months. Six weeks after the last injection she developed diffuse pain and contractures in the legs, fatigue, nausea, abdominal pain, and weight loss of 6 kg. Both knee joints were tender but there was no effusion. Her serum sodium concentration was 123 mmol/1, serum osmolality 254 mosmol/kg, urine sodium 136 mmol/1, and urinary osmolality 373 mosmol/kg. The syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion was diagnosed, but despite treatment she remained drowsy and hyponatremic. About a week later, she developed hypotension and symptoms of an acute abdomen. Further investigations showed that her basal cortisol concentration was low (36 nmol/1) but it increased to 481 nmol/1 after a short tetracosactide test, consistent with acute adrenal crisis. She recovered rapidly after treatment with oral hydrocortisone, but still required glucocorticoid substitution several months later. 

This fivefold clinical activity is possessed, to a greater or lesser extent, by all benzodiazepines in current clinical use. The properties of benzodiazepines make them ideally useful for managing anxiety (e.g. diazepam, chlordiazepoxide, lorazepam) insomnia (e.g. diazepam, temazepam, nitrazepam, loprazolam, flurazepam, lormetazepam) epilepsy (e.g. clobazam, diazepam, lorazepam) sports injuries where muscle relaxation is required (e.g. diazepam) and as premedications prior to surgery (e.g. midazolam, lorazepam). The benzodiazepines have a number of other uses, including management of alcohol withdrawal syndrome (chlordiazepoxide, diazepam) and restless legs (clonazepam). Short... 

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