USA paralympic team archer with McCune Albright Syndrome: a retrospective case report

This retrospective case report describes a 22-year-old woman with McCune Albright Syndrome who was an archery Bronze Medalist at the 2008 USA Paralympic Games.

The subject completed the Medical Outcome Survey Short Form-36 (SF-36) and the Hip Dysfunction and Osteoarthritis Score (HOOS).

SF-36 scores met or exceeded those for National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) female athletes, and age and gender matched USA norms for vitality, mental health and role emotional subscales. General health was lower than NCAA female athletes. Physical functioning, role: physical, bodily pain and social functioning subscale scores were lower than both comparison groups. HOOS symptom subscale scores revealed disabilities with walking (performed with crutches), hip abduction and stair climbing.

Target archery does not require the lower extremity strength and motion required by many other sports. Identifying the ideal time to undergo total hip arthroplasty is difficult. As total hip arthroplasty becomes less invasive, more durable, with greater modular options, and with lower revision rates, more young patients will likely benefit. Serial SF-36 and HOOS surveys may help patients and surgeons better delineate symptom, functional limitation and disability changes across the early lifespan assisting surgical timing decisions while balancing existing function, quality of life values and near future technological advances.