Posture and gait abilities in patients with myotonic dystrophy (Steinert disease). Evaluation on the short-term of a rehabilitation program.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effects of a rehabilitation program in terms of balance, gait and muscle strength in a population of patients with myotonic dystrophy.


METHODS
Twenty patients benefited, as outpatients in a hospital setting, from a rehabilitation program with clinical and instrumental evaluations. The evaluation focused on quantitative balance measurement by clinical and stabilometer tests, gait assessed by Locometre and extensors and flexors knee muscle strength measured in isokinetic concentric mode at 60°/s.


RESULTS
After the rehabilitation program, we observed a significant improvement in the patients' balance capacities measured with the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), fast gait speed and muscle strength. However, the instrumental evaluation did not report any gains for static balance and spontaneous gait speed after the training program. No correlation was found between the various improvements.


CONCLUSIONS
A rehabilitation program focused on strength, gait and balance allowed for significant improvements in some parameters of myotonic dystrophy. These results attest to the relevance of a short-term rehabilitation protocol for these patients in the framework of a multidisciplinary therapeutic care. The disparity observed in the results measured for these patients suggest the contribution of cognitive involvement in the limitations felt by patients with myotonic dystrophy in the areas of gait and balance.
Missaoui
B
B
Service de rééducation neuro-orthopédique, pôle de médecine physique et réadaptation, hôpital Rothschild, AP-HP, université Pierre-et-Marie-Curie, 33, boulevard de Picpus, 75012 Paris, France.
Rakotovao
E
E
Bendaya
S
S
Mane
M
M
Pichon
B
B
Faucher
M
M
Thoumie
P
P
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D020233:Gait Disorders, Neurologic / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D052580:Muscle Stretching Exercises; D009223:Myotonic Dystrophy / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D010807:Physical Endurance; D004856:Postural Balance; D015397:Program Evaluation; D055070:Resistance Training; D016896:Treatment Outcome