Q: After an operation for a hip joint fracture, one leg of my father is about 3 inches shorter than the other one. The doctor had fixed metal rods in the joint. Is it possible to increase the length of the leg to normal size by any medicine or other therapy?

A:Usually not. For a limb length discrepancy of about an inch or so shoe lifts are ok. For more correction, surgery may be required though its not absolutely essential. It depends on his functional status. Medicines do not help with longitudinal growth of the limb, physical therapy does help in stretching your joints but is never enough to correct for a limb length discrepancy.