Mathieu Panchoa de Sèze, Etienne Guillaud, Laure Slugacz, Jean René Cazalets
University Hospital of Bordeaux and Research group EA 4136 Handicap and Nervous System, FR-33076 Bordeaux, France
DOI: 10.2340/16501977-1888

Objective: Camptocormia is a disabling pathology of the axial system that debilitates patients in their daily life. To date, there have been no studies evaluating the impact of camptocormia on walking performance. This study presents a new method for assessing sagittal posture under walking conditions in patients with camptocormia.
Design: The severity of camptocormia was evaluated by measuring sagittal inclination, represented indirectly by the horizontal distance between the C7 and S1 markers (C7 sagittal arrow; C7-SAR). Sagittal inclination was measured under various behavioural conditions using clinical, radiological and kinematic approaches.
Patients: Forty-three patients were included in the study (17 with Parkinson’s disease and 26 with idiopathic camptocormia).
Results: Under static conditions, C7-SAR could be assessed using different methods. During walking, there was a dramatic increase in C7-SAR values. Correlation analysis revealed a relationship between functional impairment and dynamic C7-SAR values, but not with radiological C7-SAR values. Patients with Parkinson’s disease behaved differently from idiopathic patients, suggesting the involvement of different underlying physiopathological mechanisms.
Conclusion: Monitoring sagittal inclination during walking is more accurate than radiological measurements to determinine the detrimental effects of camptocormia and its consequences for quality of life.