Gait recovery in a distal spinal muscular atrophy patient wearing a patellar tendon-bearing orthosis and orthopaedic shoes.

OBJECTIVE

To illustrate that a patient with distal spinal muscular atrophy can recover gait with a combination of orthoses and orthopaedic shoes.

SUBJECT: A 28-year-old man with distal spinal muscular atrophy affecting only the distal muscles of the lower limbs. Clinical examination showed a bilateral pes cavus with a varus and a 90 degrees equinus of the ankle joint.

METHODS

The patient was fitted with orthopaedic shoes and a patellar tendon-bearing orthosis. In order to assess the clinical effects of this fitting, a complete physical examination was performed and the patient's temporo-spatial gait parameters were assessed quantitatively using gait analysis tools (Gaitrite) both prior to treatment and after one month.

RESULTS

Before the fitting, the patient was not able to walk alone or to maintain an upright position and he suffered from foot pain. One month after the fitting was applied, the patient was able to walk alone and to maintain an upright position for 1 hour. His pain disappeared. Quantified study of the patient's gait parameters shows that the temporo-spatial parameters are close to normal with fitting.

CONCLUSION

Clinical and quantitative data both confirm the subjective improvements reported by the patient.