Assessing the Relationship between Joint Damage and Gait Impairment in Children with Haemophilic Arthropathy. A Clinical Study

Abstract

The long term consequence of repeated haemarthrosis is the damage of joint tissue and irreversible haemophilic arthropathy, with severe gait related disability. Physical Therapy represents an inexpensive therapeutical intervention, with a central place in the management of the children with haemophilia, especially in the developing countries, where the profilactic substitution treatment is not established as standard procedure. Preventing and delaying the progress of the disease are essential objectives. The related interventions must be based on an appropriate assessment. The aim of our study is to investigate the relations between the joint damage – evaluated clinically and functionally, and the overall scores concerning the walking ability in children with haemophilia.