Article
Outstanding balance skills of patients with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis compared to healthy peers
Search Medline for
Authors
-
Josephine Merker
- Technische Universität München, Professur für Biomechanik im Sport; Deutsches Zentrum für Kinder- und Jugendrheumatologie, Zentrum für Schmerztherapie junger Menschen, Garmisch-Patenkirchen, München
-
Matthias Hartmann
- Deutsches Zentrum für Kinder- und Jugendrheumatologie Zentrum für Schmerztherapie junger Menschen, Garmisch-Partenkirchen
-
Florian Kreuzpointner
- Technische Universität München, Professur für Biomechanik im Sport, München
-
Ansgar Schwirtz
- Technische Universität München, Professur für Biomechanik im Sport, München
-
Johannes Peter Haas
- Deutsches Zentrum für Kinder- und Jugendrheumatologie Zentrum für Schmerztherapie junger Menschen, Garmisch-Partenkirchen
| Published: | September 1, 2015 |
|---|
Outline
Text
Introduction: Medical treatment significantly improves disease activity in JIA [1]. However, little is known about the effects on physical fitness and coordinative skills, although both are very important in daily living. This work aims to evaluate the balance control of patients with active and inactive JIA disease status in comparison to healthy peers.
Methods: Twenty-six polyarticular JIA patients with at least one active affected joint of the lower extremity were included (duration of disease M: 6.2yr±5.4). In addition, balance control was analysed of an age and gender matched JIA patient group with inactive disease (duration of disease M: 6.7yr±4.5) and a healthy control group. Both JIA groups were treated with drug medication and physiotherapy (1-2x/wk).
The balance control was measured with the validated S3-Check (TST, Großhoeflein) [2]. This balance-disk has one axis of rotation, which enables an alternation from left to right. The subjects stand barefoot on the S3-Check. They had the announcement to keep the disk for 30 seconds as horizontal as possible. The best results of the stability and sensory indices after four trials were compared with one-way ANOVA and Sidak correction (p<0.05).
Results: In anthropometric characteristics no significant differences could be found between the groups. Mean stability and sensory indices of both JIA groups were lower than indices of healthy controls, but only statistically significant in patients with inactive disease. In general, low balance indices demonstrate a better stability and motor control. Balance indices did not differ between patients with active and inactive JIA disease, although mean values of inactive patients were lower. All results are presented in Table 1 [Tab. 1].
Conclusion: The results demonstrate the ability of particular inactive JIA patients to react better to variable positions of the balance board than healthy peers. As all JIA patients included suffered from affected joints of the lower extremity with accompanying pain, the resulting permanent compensatory movements might have a positive effect on balance control. Additionally an increased body-awareness of patients by long-term functional physiotherapy could further amplify this effect. The positive results highlight the significance of functional treatment in polyarticular JIA patients.
Acknowledgements: Pfizer Inc., „Deutsche Kinderrheuma-Stiftung“ and „Ironman-Hilfe Kinderrheuma“.
