Assessment of muscle function in severely burned children

The posttraumatic response to a severe burn leads to marked and prolonged skeletal muscle catabolism and weakness, which persist despite standard rehabilitation programs of occupational and physical therapy. We investigated the degree to which the prolonged skeletal muscle catabolism affects the muscle function of children 6 months after severe burn.

Burned children, with >40% total body surface area burned, were assessed at 6 months after burn in respect to lean body mass and leg muscle strength at 150 degrees /s. Lean body mass was assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Leg muscle strength was assessed using isokinetic dynamometry. Nonburned children were assessed similarly, and served as controls.

We found that severely burned children (n=33), relative to nonburned children (n=46) had significantly lower lean body mass. Additionally they had significantly lower peak torque as well total work performance using the extensors of the thigh.

Our results serve as an objective and a practical clinical approach for assessing muscle function and also aid in establishing potential rehabilitation goals, and monitoring progress towards these goals in burned children.