Are single leg standing balance and the ability to hop altered in children with well controlled juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) compared to age matched controls?

• Main Author: Passaportis, Katherin
• Published: University of Strathclyde 2009
• Subjects: 618.92722
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.502286

Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) is an inflammatory, autoimmune disease, characterised by chronic, recurrent joint synovitis, associated pain, stiffness and muscle atrophy (Klepper 2003). Advancements in the medical management of children with JIA have greatly improved its prognosis and clinicians now aim to return children to sport participation. In order to facilitate this, an understanding of motor control and skill is required; however there has been no investigation into balance and motor control in children with JIA. The primary aim of this pilot study was to examine the single leg standing balance of children with well controlled JIA, compared to a control group. The secondary objectives of this study were to examine whether impairments in standing balance impacted on the children's motor function, as represented by their ability to hop and finally to investigate what factors may contribute to the children's standing balance.