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Pulsed Nd:YAG laser: effects on pain, postural stability, and weight-bearing pattern in children with hemophilic ankle arthropathy

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Abstract

Hemophilic ankle arthropathy features joint pain, impaired postural control, and abnormal weight-bearing pattern. This study was designed to investigate the effects of pulsed Nd:YAG laser on pain, postural stability, and weight-bearing pattern in children with hemophilic ankle arthropathy. Forty children diagnosed with hemophilia type A (age, 8–16 years) were randomly allocated to either the treatment group (n = 20) who received a three-phase active therapy with pulsed Nd:YAG laser thrice/week (total energy was 1500 J) plus a physical exercise program for four consecutive weeks, or the placebo group (n = 20) who received placebo laser plus the physical exercise program. Pain, postural control (i.e., directional control [DC], endpoint excursion [EE], center-of-gravity movement velocity [CoG-MV], and maximum excursion [MXE]), and weight-bearing pattern (i.e., pressure peaks of the hindfoot [PP-HF] and forefoot [PP-FF], and the foot contact area [FCA]) were assessed pre- and post-treatment. The treatment group showed greater improvement in pain (P = .004), DC (P = .02), EE (P = .003), and CoG-MV (P = .003) compared to the placebo group. However, there was no statistically significant difference between both groups regarding the MXE (P = .15). In addition, the treatment group achieved favorable improvements in PP-HF (P = .003), PP-FF (P = .027), and FCA (P = .002) relative to the placebo group. Pulsed Nd:YAG laser is a potentially effective therapy for pain relief, postural control enhancement, and weight-bearing pattern adjustment in children with hemophilic ankle arthropathy.

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Acknowledgments

The author of this work would like to thank all the participants and their families and the technical staff of physical therapy laboratories at Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University for partaking in this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Therapy for Pediatrics, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt

    Ragab K. Elnaggar

  2. Department of Physical Therapy and Health Rehabilitation, Collage of Applied Medical Sciences, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia

    Ragab K. Elnaggar

  3. Giza, Egypt

    Ragab K. Elnaggar

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Elnaggar, R.K. Pulsed Nd:YAG laser: effects on pain, postural stability, and weight-bearing pattern in children with hemophilic ankle arthropathy. Lasers Med Sci 35, 1075–1083 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10103-019-02889-z

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