The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of leg length discrepancy (LLD) in hemiplegic cerebral palsy and to assess the gait pattern of hemiplegic patients with LLD.

189 patients with hemiplegic cerebral palsy were included in this study. We evaluated the prevalence of LLD of more than 1.5 cm and compared the results of 3-dimensional gait analysis of a group with LLD (Group I) and a group without LLD (Group II).

A leg length discrepancy exceeding 1.5 cm was noted in 25 patients (13.2%). In spastic type, the prevalence of LLD was highest in Winter type IV patients (30.8%) than any other type (6.7-13.0%), and the prevalence in patients older than 12 years of age (27.5%) was higher than that in younger patients (8.0%). According to 3-dimensional gait analysis, there were significant decreases in the range of motion of the hip and ankle in the sagittal plane of Group I compared with Group II, and the muscles of the Group I were affected more severely than those of Group II.

Prevalence of LLD in hemiplegic tcerebral palsy was higher than that in the normal population, and the discrepancy increased with skeletal maturity. When muscles were affected more severely, the prevalence of LLD increased.