My leg feels longer since my hip replacement. Will that feeling go away, or is my leg actually longer?

Last reviewed: September 29, 2026

Usually the feeling goes away. Feeling that the new leg is longer is common after a hip replacement, and in most people it fades or disappears during the first year.

It can be either. Sometimes the leg really is a little longer. Surgeons aim for equal lengths, but a hip that is set too short is more likely to dislocate, so a little extra length is sometimes accepted to keep it stable. The bigger the real difference, the more likely people are to feel it.

What your legs were like before surgery matters too. People who had a bigger difference beforehand, or a bigger correction during surgery, are more likely to notice a difference afterward. A large difference is not always fully corrected, because stretching a leg a long way has been linked to nerve injury in some studies, though not all.

Often, though, the feeling does not match the X-ray. A tilted pelvis or a stiff lower back can make a leg feel longer than it measures. The hip muscles on the operated side also often stay weaker for months or longer, which can let the pelvis tilt when you walk. Whether that weakness causes the feeling has not been studied directly.

Most people whose feeling does not go away are still satisfied with their hip.

In general:

• Give it time. The first months are not the final answer.
• If it has not settled, ask your surgeon to measure the lengths.
• A real difference that stays is usually treated with a lift in the shoe first.
• When that does not help, a second operation to correct the length is sometimes an option.

Drafted with AI assistance from published sources, reviewed and edited by Babak Sheikh, MD.

Sources:

• Adams CT, et al. Evolving Patient Perception of Limb Length Discrepancy Following Total Hip Arthroplasty. J Arthroplasty. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arth.2021.02.080
• Konyves A, et al. The Importance of Leg Length Discrepancy After Total Hip Arthroplasty. J Bone Joint Surg Br. 2005. https://doi.org/10.1302/0301-620x.87b2.14878
• Omichi Y, et al. Impact of the Hip-Spine Relationship and Patient-Perceived Leg Length Discrepancy After Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Retrospective Study. J Orthop Sci. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jos.2023.03.018
• Farrell CM, et al. Motor Nerve Palsy Following Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2005. https://doi.org/10.2106/JBJS.C.01564
• Eggli S, et al. Nerve Palsy After Leg Lengthening in Total Replacement Arthroplasty for Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip. J Bone Joint Surg Br. 1999. https://doi.org/10.1302/0301-620x.81b5.9610
• Gheewala RA, et al. Perioperative Management of Leg-Length Discrepancy in Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Review. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00402-022-04759-w
• Loppini M, et al. Clinical and Radiographic Outcomes of Surgical Management for Leg Length Inequality After Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00402-025-05807-x
• Ismailidis P, et al. Abductor Muscle Strength Deficit in Patients After Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Arthroplasty. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arth.2021.03.042
• John S, et al. Persisting Inter-Limb Differences in Patients Following Total Hip Arthroplasty Four to Five Years After Surgery? A Preliminary Cross-Sectional Study. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-021-04099-7
• Minoji S, et al. Perceived Leg Length Discrepancy After Total Hip Arthroplasty Is Associated With Global Spinopelvic Coronal Flexibility. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg. 2026. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00402-026-06344-x
• Lazennec JY, et al. Does Patients’ Perception of Leg Length After Total Hip Arthroplasty Correlate With Anatomical Leg Length? J Arthroplasty. 2018. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arth.2017.12.004
• Llanes PD, et al. Patient Perception of Leg-Length Discrepancy and Satisfaction Following Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty. J Arthroplasty. 2026. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arth.2025.11.022

This is general information about what published research shows. It is not medical advice and it is not about your situation. Reading it does not create a doctor-patient relationship with me. I am a retired orthopedic surgeon and I do not see patients. Talk with your own doctor before changing anything about your care. If something feels suddenly or seriously wrong, get medical care promptly rather than waiting.

This page is provided as is. I make no guarantee that it is accurate, complete or current, and medical evidence changes. Use of it is at your own risk.

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