Frontal head posture in shunt-treated hydrocephalic patients.

OBJECTS: The aim of this study was to evaluate frontal head posture in shunt-treated hydrocephalic patients and its relation to the sidedness of the shunt device.

METHODS

Natural head position and frontal cephalograms of 55 shunt-treated Finnish hydrocephalic patients and 33 healthy Finnish subjects were analysed using a computerised digitising program (X-METRIX). The following reference angles were used: ORB/HOR, indicating the head position related to the true horizontal; CER/VER, indicating the cervical position related to the true vertical; and CER/CR, indicating the craniocervical position.

CONCLUSIONS

The results showed an increased skewness of the head in the shunt-treated subjects, which was not related to the shunt side.