Article

Most children with severe birth-related brachial plexus injury (BRBPI)
have some functional impairment, but information on the impact of BRBPI on
coordination and balance is limited. The study's purpose was to determine whether
children with BRBPI exhibit deficits in body coordination and balance. METHOD: A prospective cohort study involving 39 children with BRBPI aged 5-15 years was
conducted. Range of motion, strength, active movement, and balance and
coordination motor skills were assessed using the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of
Motor Proficiency, Second Edition (BOT-2), and the Movement Assessment Battery
for Children-Second Edition (MABC-2). A self-report measure of physical
disability, the Activities Scale for Kids-Performance Version (ASKp), was also
administered. RESULTS: Participants scored a mean of 44.72 on the BOT-2 Body
Coordination composite subtest; scores can range from 20 to 80. Eleven
participants (28.2%) scored below average on this test. Participants scored a
mean of 7.3 on the Balance subtest of the MABC-2; scores can range from 1 to 19.
Twenty-six participants (66.7%) scored below average on this test. Of 38
participants, 25 (65.8%) had an ASKp score indicating some level of disability
(<95/100); we found a statistically significant difference in balance (p=0.007)
between these 25 participants and those without disability (ASKp score 95-100).
CONCLUSIONS: The majority of our study population scored in the categories of at
risk or significant difficulty for balance on the MABC-2. Balance rehabilitation
may be a valuable treatment adjunct for children with BRBPI.

Langue : ANGLAIS