The Long-Term Effects of Surgery in Patients with Myelomeningocele and Their Influence on the Parameteres of Gait - Preliminary Research

The aim of the work was to assess locomotion functions and posture stability of patients who had undergone prenatal or postnatal surgery for myelomeningocele. The gait tests were conducted with BTS System and the stabilographic tests with the dynamographic platform by Zebris. Eight patients operated for myelomeningocele, 4 prenatally and 4 postnatally, have undergone the analysis. A thorough analysis was made of the set of space-time, kinematic parameters, values of the Gillette Gait Index and Gait Deviation Index. The patients’ posture stability was assessed on the basis of the path length and the ellipse area. The obtained results were compared with the standard values. The conducted biomechanical examinations of indicate that regardless of the time when the closing of the myelomeningocele was done, the patients show biggest disorders in the motion of the pelvis. Posture stability of children with myelomeningocele is reduced when compared to a group of healthy children.