Abnormal hypersynchronization of body balance control system in children with post-burn foot deformity

Abstract

Relevance. Treatment of children with post-burn foot deformities is an important task of reconstructive plastic surgery. The scars formed on the back surface of the feet, even with adequate surgical approach, in the acute period of thermal injury, further often lead to deformities of the entire foot, which leads to a derangement of its support function. The importance of the problem lies in the fact that with the growth of the child, secondary abnormal changes develop on the part of the joints of the lower extremities and the spine, leading to impaired locomotor function, including deviations in the body balance control system.
 Purpose of the study. To study postural stability in children with post-burn foot deformities before and after surgical treatment.
 Material and methods. The stabilometric study was conducted in 12 patients with post-burn cicatricial foot deformity, the average age of the patients was 9.8 ± 0.93 years old. The control group consisted of 12 children of the same age with no signs of orthopedic abnormality. To assess the results, the methods of descriptive statistics with the inclusion of correlation and regression analysis were used.
 Results. In patients with post-burn cicatricial deformity of the foot at the pre-treatment stage, a compensatory redistribution of the static load towards the intact lower limb was revealed. Analysis of postural control indicators in patients of the main group showed an abnormal increase in the synchronization of the system of body balance control. After reconstructive operations on the affected foot, symmetry of the distribution of the load and restoration of the support of the limb of the affected side were noted. Correlation analysis revealed a pronounced decrease in abnormal hypersynchronization between stabilometric parameters, which may indicate a trend towards normalization of the postural control strategy in patients after treatment.
 Conclusion. Elimination of post-burn foot deformity contributed to the restoration of its anatomical shape and was accompanied by pronounced positive dynamics in the state of the system of vertical balance of the patient’s body.