Conservative Treatment of Sever's Disease: A Systematic Review.

Background: Sever's disease, or calcaneal apophysitis, stands as the most prevalent cause of heel pain in children, often linked to sports like soccer, Australian football, and basketball. While various therapies are documented in the scientific literature, the standard choice is conservative treatment. Thus, the objective of this research was to assess the effectiveness of diverse conservative methods and techniques in alleviating Sever's disease symptoms. Methods: Systematic searches were conducted in October 2023 in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, SportDiscus, and PEDro, using terms like Osteochondritis, Osteochondrosis, Apophysitis, Sever's disease, Calcaneus, Adolescent, Child, and Childhood. The PEDro scale gauged methodological quality, and the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool evaluated the risk of bias. Results: Eight randomized controlled studies were included, featuring commonly used treatments such as insoles, therapeutic exercises, Kinesio taping, and foot orthoses. The methodological quality was generally good, with an average PEDro score of 6.75 points. Regarding bias, four articles had low risk, three had high risk, and one had some concern. Conclusions: Conservative treatment emerges as an effective option for alleviating symptoms associated with Sever's disease.

Static and dynamic postural control assessment in schoolchildren: Reliability and reference values of the Modified Flamingo Test and Bar Test.

INTRODUCTION: Single-leg stance tests have been widely used to evaluate static balance, like the Modified Flamingo Test. The evaluation of dynamic balance on small support surfaces is the objective of some tests like the Bar Test. RESEARCH QUESTION: How is the performance of postural control during the performance of these tests in schoolchildren between 6 and 11 years of age in both sexes? What are the reference values of these tests in this population? METHOD: A cross-sectional study in which a total of 282 children. The evaluation included both tests. RESULTS: The relative reliability was excellent (Intraclass Correlation Coefficient = 0.84-0.98), and the absolute reliability ranged between 4.5% and 7.1% for coefficient variation and between 0.5 and 1.5 for the standard error of measurement. The average results were 3.8 ± 2.7 floor touches for the Modified Flamingo Test and 5 ± 3.5 m for the Bar Test. The results of both tests improve progressively with the increase of age. DISCUSSION: It can be asserted that children of different ages, as well as boys and girls of the same age, perform differently in these tests. Particularly, according to the analysis based on age subgroups, there were greater improvements in the performance of both tests between 8 and 11 years of age. CONCLUSIONS: The girls obtained in both tests better results, although between 6 and 7 years of age the differences between sexes are not significant.

Accelerometric analysis of trunk acceleration during gait analysis in children between 6 and 11 years old: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Gait analysis in children with accelerometers is of special interest in daily clinical practice, as it eliminates possible biases related to the assessor and is not very sensitivity of visual analysis. The sensitivity of data collection by these instruments makes it possible to evaluate the efficiency of body movements during gait and to better understand the degree of motor development in childhood, assessing progress within normal developmental parameters or detecting possible deficits. Research question: What are the accelerations of the center of mass during normal gait in children aged 6-11 years? Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study conducted with a total of 283 school children (girls = 142). The analyzed variables were the mean and maximum values obtained in each of the three body axes and their root mean square during normal gait 10 m out, turn and 10 m back over firm ground in a straight line three times. Results: The accelerometric data obtained showed similar values between sexes in each of the age sub-groups analyzed. Except for the medial-lateral axis in children aged 10-11 years where differences between sexes were detected (being significantly lower in girls). A reduction in medial-lateral axis average values over the years was also identified in both sexes. The regression models generated for the average accelerometric values showed significant values only in the average value of the medial-lateral axis. However, the maximum values were significant in all cases. Significance: The preferred motor strategies of boys and girls during gait include developing mainly control and adjustment movements in the frontal plane (hence the high magnitudes recorded there). Flexion-extension movements are the most reduced over the six years of age analyzed, particularly in girls. Conversely, rotational movements are the most constant in speed in both sexes and all age subgroups.

Relación entre parámetros cardiovasculares y el Índice de Masa Corporal en mujeres perimenopáusicas / Relationship between cardiovascular parameters and body mass index in perimenopausal women

Introducción: Las enfermedades cardiovasculares (ECV) son la causa de muerte más frecuente en las mujeres en todo el mundo. La deficiencia de estrógenos debido a la menopausia se asocia con un mayor riesgo a padecer esta patología.Objetivo: Analizar los factores de riesgo cardiovascular en mujeres perimenopausicas con al menos un factor de riesgo cardiovascular modificable mayor (diabetes, hipertensión, dislipemia) con edades comprendidas entre los 45 y 60 años de dos servicios de atención primaria urbanos.Metodología: Estudio descriptivo transversal en dos centros de salud de la ciudad de Ourense (Centro de Salud Novoa Santos y Centro de Salud A Ponte). Las variables analizadas fueron: Actividad estrogénica, tratamiento farmacológico, hábito tabáquico, calidad de vida, índice de masa corporal (IMC), colesterol total, lipoproteína de alta densidad (cHDL), lipoproteína de baja densidad (cLDL) y triglicéridos, tensión arterial sistólica (TAS), tensión arterial diastólica (TAD), frecuencia cardíaca (FC). El estudio contó con la aprobación del Comité Ético de Galicia. El análisis de los datos se efectuó a través del software libre R.Resultados: Participaron 316 mujeres, de las cuales el 64,9% eran menopáusicas. La edad media de la muestra fue de 53,35 ± 4,35 años. El valor medio del IMC fue de 28,125 ± 5,54 Kg/m2. Un 27,8% afirmó presentar hábito tabáquico. El 77,2% de las mujeres de la muestra presentaban niveles de colesterol total ≥200 mg/dl. En relación al cLDL, en el 72,6% de la población estudiada era ≥130 mg/dl. Se observó una correlación estadísticamente significativa entre el IMC y los niveles de triglicéridos, cHDL, TAS, TAD y FC.Conclusiones: Las mujeres perimenopáusicas presentaban una elevada prevalencia hábito tabáquico, obesidad y sobrepeso, a pesar de sufrir al menos un factor de riesgo cardiovascular. Por otra parte mostraron una baja calidad de vida tanto en la dimensión física como mental

Introduction: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the most common cause of death in women worldwide. Estrogen deficiency due to menopause is associated with an increased risk of this pathology.Objective: To analyze cardiovascular risk factors in perimenopausal women with at least one major modifiable cardiovascular risk factor (diabetes, hypertension, dyslipemia) between the ages of 45 and 60 of two urban primary care services.Methodology: Cross-sectional descriptive study in two health centers in the city of Ourense (Novoa Santos Health Center and A Ponte Health Center). The variables analyzed were: estrogenic activity, pharmacological treatment, smoking habit, quality of life, body mass index (BMI), total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (cHDL), low-density lipoprotein (cLDL) and triglycerides, systolic blood pressure (TAS), diastolic blood pressure (TAD), heart rate (FC). The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Galicia. Data analysis was performed through the free R software.Results: 316 women participated, of whom 64.9% were menopausal. The average age of the sample was 53.35 ± 4.35 years. The average BMI value was 28,125 ± 5.54 Kg/m2. 27.8% said they had a smoking habit. 77.2% of the women in the sample had total cholesterol levels ≥200 mg/dL. In relation to the cLDL, in 72.6% of the population studied it was ≥130 mg/dL. A statistically significant correlation was observed between BMI and triglyceride, cHDL, TAS, TAD and FC levels.Conclusion: Perimenopausal women had a high prevalence of smoking habit, obesity and overweight, despite suffering at least one cardiovascular risk factor. On the other hand they showed a low quality of life in both the physical and mental dimensión.

Sex differences in postural control under unstable conditions in schoolchildren with accelerometric assessment.

BACKGROUND: Although the effects of balance training on unstable surfaces have been widely studied, the impact of exposure to an unstable surface in static balance throughout childhood has not been described to date. RESEARCH QUESTION: How does postural stability vary between sexes in children 6-12 years of age during single leg static support on unstable surface? What are the normative values of centre of mass acceleration in the mentioned age range during such test? Is the postural stability on an unstable surface in the postural control of children aged 6-12 years during static single-leg stance. Secondarily, the normative acceleration values of the gravity centre, recorded during such tests and throughout the mentioned age range, were also provided. METHODS: Descriptive, transversal study conducted with a total of 316 school children (girls = 158). The analysed variables were the mean and maximum values obtained in each of the three body axes and their root mean square during static single-leg support test on an unstable surface (a mat). FINDINGS: Accelerations decreased in magnitude with the increasing age of the participants. The highest accelerometric values were recorded in the medio-lateral axis in both sexes and throughout the entire age range studied. Between sexes, the greatest differences were obtained between 8 and 11 year-olds. The regression models revealed significant values about the influence of sex on the accelerometric variables (girls were more likely to obtain less accelerations in postural adjustments with increasing age). INTERPRETATION: Boys depend more on somatoaesthetic information, whereas girls would use more visual and vestibular information. In the age range of 8-11 years, the postural control system is significantly different between sexes regarding the hierarchy of the efferent information of the available postural control subsystems. Moreover, the reactions of straightening and postural control on single-leg stance are, fundamentally, flexion-extension movements.

Influence of Visual Information and Sex on Postural Control in Children Aged 6-12 Years Assessed with Accelerometric Technology.

The performance of postural control is believed to be linked to how children use available sensory stimuli to produce adequate muscular activation. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to thoroughly explore postural stability under normal conditions and without visual information in postural control in children aged 6-12 years during static single-leg support. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 316 children (girls = 158). The analyzed variables were the mean and maximum values obtained in each of the three body axes and their root mean square during two static single-leg support tests: one with eyes open and one with eyes closed. Girls showed lower magnitudes in the recorded accelerations at all ages and in all the variables of both tests. Accelerations during the tests showed progressively lower values from 6 to 12 years of age. The sex had a significant influence on the magnitude obtained in the accelerations recorded during the tests. Improvements in balance with increasing age were greater with visual information than without visual information. The tests of single-leg support showed preferential sensorimotor strategies in boys and girls: boys tend to rely more on visual inputs, and girls process somesthetic information in a preferential way.

Validity and Reliability of a Tool for Accelerometric Assessment of Balance in Scholar Children.

In Pediatrics, balance is assessed through low-sensitivity clinical tests which identify developmental alterations at already advanced stages that cannot be detected at earlier stages. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop an easily applicable quantitative tool that can be used to evaluate postural control. Consequently, a cross-sectional study was carried out with 91 healthy children. All of them performed a series of six accelerometric functional tests and four clinical tests of balance (Modified Flamingo Test, Bar Test, Babinski-Weil Test, and Fukuda Stepping Test). The Bar Test obtained mild inverse correlations with accelerations produced in the mediolateral axis and the root mean square of all the tests in monopodal support. The Flamingo Test obtained direct correlations with the root mean square of the tests in monopodal support and with the mediolateral axis of the monopodal tests and gait. The pediatric balance assessment scale consists of three factors and eleven items extracted from five accelerometric functional tests: the monopodal balance test with six items, normal gait test with three items, and bipodal balance test with two items. This tool is easy to apply and allows analysis in the evaluation of the balance state based on the accelerations of the center of mass.

Accelerometric Assessment of Postural Balance in Children: A Systematic Review.

The correct development of postural control in children is fundamental to ensure that they fully reach their psychomotor capacities. However, this capacity is one of the least studied in the clinical and academic scope regarding children. The objective of this study was to analyze the degree of implementation of accelerometry as an evaluation technique for postural control in children and how it is being used. METHODS: A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, SpringerLink, SportsDiscus, Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science with the following terms: balance, postural control, children, kids, accelerometry, and accelerometer. RESULTS: The search generated a total of 18 articles. Two groups of studies were differentiated: those which exclusively included healthy individuals (n = 5) and those which included children with pathologies (n = 13). Accelerometry is being used in children mainly to assess the gait and static balance, as well as to identify the differences between healthy children and children with developmental disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Accelerometry has a discrete degree of implementation as an evaluation tool to assess postural control. It is necessary to define a systematic method for the evaluation of postural control in pediatrics, in order to delve into the development of this capacity and its alterations in different neurodevelopmental disorders.

Percentiles and Reference Values for Accelerometric Gait Assessment in Women Aged 50-80 Years.

Background: The identification of factors that alter postural stability is fundamental in the design of interventions to maintain independence and mobility. This is especially important for women because of their longer life expectancy and higher incidence of falls than in men. We constructed the percentile box charts and determined the values of reference for the accelerometric assessment of the gait in women. Methods: We used a cross-sectional study with 1096 healthy adult women, who were asked to walk a distance of 20 m three times. Results: In all of the variables, a reduction in the magnitude of accelerations was detected as the age of the group advanced. The box charts show the amplitude of the interquartile ranges, which increases as the age of the participants advances. In addition, the interquartile ranges were greater in the variables that refer to the maximum values of the accelerations. Conclusions: The values obtained can be used to assess changes in gait due to aging, trauma and orthopaedic alterations that may alter postural stability and neurodegenerative processes that increase the risk of falling.

Physical Activity Practice and Optimal Development of Postural Control in School Children: Are They Related?

BACKGROUND: This study aims to analyze the effect of physical activity practice on the postural control state of school children. If such an effect was detected, the second aim of the study was to identify which specific capacities of postural control benefited the most from physical activity. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed using a convenience sample of 118 healthy children (54 girls) with a mean age of 10.3 ± 1.2 years. Their weight and height were measured. The accelerometric assessment of balance included four different tests in static balance and walking. RESULTS: Physical activity habit prevalence was 38.9% in girls and 60.9% in boys, and its frequency was 2.3 days per week in girls and 2.8 days in boys. The active children obtained lower accelerations, but the active and sedentary girls showed lower accelerometric values than the active boys. The logistic regression analysis demonstrated the influence of sex on the accelerations of the body (p < 0.001), regardless of the habit of physical activity. CONCLUSIONS: Active children have better postural control than sedentary children, although sedentary girls have better balance than active boys. Therefore, physical activity practice seems to favor a more efficient development of postural control, but it cannot level or reverse the effect of the neurophysiological factors that are conditioned by sex.

Percentiles and Reference Values for the Accelerometric Assessment of Static Balance in Women Aged 50-80 Years.

The identification of factors that alter postural stability is fundamental in the design of interventions to maintain independence and mobility. This is especially important for women because of their longer life expectancy and higher incidence of falls compared to men. The objective of this study was to construct the percentile box charts and determine the values of reference for the accelerometric assessment of the static balance in women. For this, an observational and cross-sectional study with a sample composed of 496 women (68.8 ± 10.4 years old) was conducted. The measurement of accelerations used a triaxial accelerometer during three tests: two tests on the ground in monopodal support and a test on a mat with monopodal support for 30 s each. In all of the variables, an increase in the magnitude of the accelerations was detected as the age advanced. The box charts of the percentiles of the tests show the amplitude of the interquartile ranges, which increased as the age advanced. The values obtained can be used to assess changes in static balance due to aging, trauma and orthopaedic and neurodegenerative alterations that may alter postural stability and increase the risk of falling.