How Uneven Leg Length Can Increase Knee Stress Over Time
Step Rite Shoe Lifts
The knee on the longer leg often stays slightly bent to make the legs match, which loads the kneecap. The knee on the shorter leg locks straight and takes impact. A lift on the shorter side lets both knees work the way they were built to.
Two knees, two compensations
A knee that is always a few degrees bent is a knee under constant load, and the kneecap feels it first. A knee that locks straight and lands hard wears its cartilage faster. Neither knee is doing anything wrong. They are matching the legs.
After a knee replacement
A knee replacement can change leg length too. One patient on a forum measured a half inch longer on the new side, with hip and back pain to match. The physical therapist measures once the swelling is down and prescribes the lift.
Walking shoes for knee patients
A cushioned shoe with a flat, deep midsole takes a lift cleanly and hides it. The New Balance 928 and the Brooks Dyad are the two we lift most for knee patients, in wide widths for swelling. Lifts over three quarters of an inch are honeycombed so the shoe stays light on a knee that is still recovering.
