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Decrease in peripheral muscle strength and ankle dorsiflexion as long-term side effects of treatment for childhood
Annelies Hartman1, Cor van den Bos, Theo Stijnen
1Department of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Erasmus MC Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. j.hartman@erasmusmc.nl
Pediatric Blood & Cancer
|September 1, 2007
Summary
Children treated for cancer show long-term deficits in muscle strength and ankle flexibility. However, these impairments do not fully explain reduced motor performance scores on the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (movement-ABC).
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Childhood Cancer Survivorship
Background:
- Children treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, Wilms tumor, B-non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and malignant mesenchymal tumors often experience long-term side effects.
- Investigating the impact of cancer treatment on physical function is crucial for improving survivors' quality of life.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess muscle strength, passive ankle dorsiflexion, and their relationship with motor performance in pediatric cancer survivors.
- To compare the physical function of survivors to a healthy control group.
Main Methods:
- Muscle strength measured using a hand-held dynamometer; ankle dorsiflexion assessed with a goniometer.
- Motor performance evaluated using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (movement-ABC).
- Study included 92 survivors (aged 6.1-12.9 years, mean 3.3 years post-treatment) and 155 healthy controls.
Main Results:
- Survivors exhibited reduced muscle strength in ankle and wrist dorsiflexors, and pinch grip (non-dominant and dominant sides).
- Significantly decreased passive ankle dorsiflexion was observed in both ankles of survivors.
- Movement-ABC scores were associated with pinch grip strength, but not other muscle groups or ankle dorsiflexion.
Conclusions:
- Chemotherapy treatment for childhood cancer leads to long-term reductions in peripheral muscle strength and ankle dorsiflexion.
- Reduced muscle strength and ankle dorsiflexion do not entirely account for the observed deficits in motor performance (movement-ABC).
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