• Ward J
• Coats J
• Sorrels K
• Pourmoghaddam A
• Sarmiento T
• Deleon C

• Adult
• Gait
• Leg Length Inequality
• Sacroiliac Joint
• Young Adult

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the impact bilateral sacroiliac joint adjustment has on leg length inequality (LLI) through gait analysis. 

Design: Pre vs post sacroiliac joint adjustment gait study.

Setting: A Biomechanics lab.

Participants: Forty-one healthy participants (age= 30.2 + 5.9 yrs, height= 1.69 + 0.09 m, body mass= 81.7 + 21.3 kg: mean + SD).

Intervention: Participants engaged in a baseline 90-second walking kinematic analysis.  Following this, participants underwent a functional LLI test.  Upon examination participants were classified as:  left short leg, right short leg, or no short leg.  Participants in each of the two short leg branches of this study were then randomized to receive either: 1) Both adjustment to the Posterior Superior Iliac Spine on the short limb side and ischial tuberosity adjustment to the long limb side, or 2) no adjustment.  All participants then underwent another 90-second gait analysis. 

Main Outcome Measures: A mixed model multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was utilized to compare baseline to post-intervention kinematic data.

Results: Statistically significant differences were measured for participants that underwent adjustment for step length and knee angle on the long limb side.  Additionally, adjustment for LLI appeared to increase stride by approximately 1 inch bilaterally.

Conclusion: Preliminarily this suggests that adjustment in response to a functionally short leg results in small changes in certain gait parameters in 18-45 year-old asymptomatic individuals.

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