The Association Between Lumbar Lordosis and Functional Performance in Children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Abstract

The Association Between Lumbar Lordosis and Functional Performance in Children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Abstract

Purpose: The aims of this study were to compare the lumbar lordosis measured with flexible ruler between healthy peers and children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) and to investigate the relationship between lumbar lordosis and functional performance in children with DMD. Material and Methods: This study included 20 children with DMD (median age: 8.29 years) and 10 healthy peers (median age: 7.96 years). Lumbar lordosis and postural alignment were assessed with flexible ruler and New York Posture Rating (NYPR), succesively. Functional performance was evaluated with Motor Function Measure and timed performance tests. Results: Demographic characteristics of children with DMD and healthy peers were similar (p>0.05). Children with DMD (median angle: 46.58 degrees) had a higher degree of lumbar lordosis than their healthy peers (median angle: 36.10 degrees) (p<0.001). Besides, children with DMD had greater disturbance according to NYPR (p=0.002). Both the degree of lumbar lordosis and NYPR scores were moderately to strongly related to the functional performance (p<0.005, rs:0.5 - 0.8 and -0.5 - -0.8). Conclusion: Assessment of lumbar lordosis using a flexible ruler in DMD may be an alternative method for both in differentiating between healthy and pathological status of postural change, and to predict disease prognosis.

Keywords

• Duchenne muscular dystrophy
• lumbar vertebra
• lordosis
• posture
• physical functional performance

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