Most Frequent Long-term Deviations from Normal in the Musculoskeletal System of Patients in Remission of Tumourous Diseases Manifested in Childhood or Adolescence
Abstract
The pilot study describes the present practice of physiotherapeutic and exercise therapy in patients treated for cancer manifested in childhood or adolescence followed up periodically during long-term remission of the disease. In a randomly selected group of 40 patients aged 8 - 23 years in which the time to follow-up from completion of therapy ranged from 1 - 12 years, the incidence of functional changes of musculoskeletal System was evaluated.
These abnormalities are widely spread also in a general population, but the incidence in this cohort is substantially higher. Main functional changes of musculoskeletal System found with higher then normal incidence in this cohort are: preclination of the head (62.5 % of patients), protraction of shoulders (67 % ), the weakness of intrascapular muscles (72.5 % ), limited development and movement ability of thoracic spine and significant shortless of scalenies muscles of neck.