A review of the effectiveness of lower limb orthoses used in cerebral palsy

To produce this review, a systematic literature search was conducted for relevant articles published in the period between the date of the previous ISPO consensus conference report on cerebral palsy (1994) and April 2008. The search terms were 'cerebral and pals* (palsy, palsies), 'hemiplegia', 'diplegia', 'orthos*' (orthoses, orthosis) orthot* (orthotic, orthotics), brace or AFO

Smart garment for trunk posture monitoring: A preliminary study

© 2008 Wong and Wong; licensee BioMed Central Ltd

Clinical methods for quantifying body segment posture: a literature review

Purpose. Clinicians commonly assess posture in persons with musculoskeletal disorders and tend to do so subjectively. Evidence-based practice requires the use of valid, reliable and sensitive tools to monitor treatment effectiveness. The purpose of this article was to determine which methods were used to assess posture quantitatively in a clinical setting and to identify psychometric properties of posture indices measured from these methods or tools. Methods. We conducted a comprehensive literature review. Pertinent databases were used to search for articles on quantitative clinical assessment of posture. Searching keywords were related to posture and assessment, scoliosis, back pain, reliability, validity and different body segments. Results. We identified 65 articles with angle and distance posture indices that corresponded to our search criteria. Several studies showed good intra- and inter-rater reliability for measurements taken directly on the persons (e.g., goniometer, inclinometer, flexible curve and tape measurement) or from photographs, but the validity of these measurements was not always demonstrated. Conclusion. Taking measurements of all body angles directly on the person is a lengthy process and may affect the reliability of the measurements. Measurement of body angles from photographs may be the most accurate and rapid way to assess global posture quantitatively in a clinical setting.CIHR / IRS

3D body scanning and healthcare applications

Developed largely for the clothing industry, 3D body-surface scanners are transforming our ability to accurately measure and visualize a person's body size, shape, and skin-surface area. Advancements in 3D whole-body scanning seem to offer even greater potential for healthcare applications

Sagittal Alignment in Spinal Deformity: Implications for the Non-Operative Care Practitioner

Sagittal alignment has become a hot topic in the world of orthopedics, particularly as it pertains to adults with spine deformities and coexisting pain, activity limitations, and health-related quality of life. It is reported that the prevalence of spinal deformity in the older adult will continue to increase. Clinicians across disciplines recognize the myriad of variation that exists in sagittal alignment, and that there is not one ideal norm to ascribe to. Relatively new to the spine deformity community has been the discovery of the relationship between the pelvis and the femur (pelvic incidence) in dictating lumbar lordosis and overall spinal alignment. While it is acknowledged that variation exists, there is now evidence that there is a limited range within which we can compensate for loss of sagittal alignment and still function well. When compensations run out, the quality of life becomes affected. These alignment variations, compensations, and in some cases, loss of alignment all together have clinical implications for the physiotherapist working with the older adult population. The purpose of this chapter is to describe the current state of evidence-informed knowledge around spinopelvic parameters as they relate to the adult with spine deformity and offer clinical implications for the conservative care practitioner

Advances on Scoliogeny, Diagnosis and Management of Scoliosis and Spinal Disorders

This book contains research articles on the advances in the aetiology of idiopathic scoliosis (IS), the spinal growth related to the implementation of growth modulation for the surgical treatment of early-onset IS, the non-surgical treatment of IS using Physiotheraputic Scoliosis Specific Exercises, and braces. Additionally, it focuses on issues related to surgical treatment, issues related to body posture and the quality of life of this sensitive group of people. The high quality of published papers in this Special Issue of the JCM serve these objectives