EFFECTIVENESS OF PHYSICAL THERAPY IN RESTORING LOWER LIMB FUNCTIONAL STATUS IN CHILDREN AGED 6–12 YEARS WITH LEGG–CALVÉ–PERTHES DISEASE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32782/health-2026.1.28Keywords:
physical therapy, Legg–Calvé–Perthes disease, children, hip joint, ankle joint, goniometry, muscle strength, rehabilitationAbstract
The article presents the results of a study investigating the effectiveness of a physical therapy (PT) program in children aged 6–12 years with Legg–Calvé–Perthes disease (LCPD). The relevance of the problem is associated with impaired functional status of the hip joint, limited motor activity, decreased muscle strength, and the presence of pain syndrome, which lead to reduced social functioning and quality of life in children with this pathology. An important component of comprehensive rehabilitation for such patients is the use of PT interventions aimed at restoring lower limb motor function. The aim of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of a physical therapy program in restoring the functional status of the lower limb in children aged 6–12 years with Legg–Calvé–Perthes disease. The study involved 60 children who were divided into an experimental group (EG, n=30) and a control group (CG, n=30). Children in the EG underwent a PT course according to a modified program using individually selected exercises and dosed physical loading, whereas the CG received a conventional rehabilitation program. The rehabilitation program lasted 3 months. Goniometry, manual muscle testing (MMT), and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) were used to assess the effectiveness of the intervention. The study demonstrated a positive effect of PT programs on the functional status of the lower limbs in children of both groups. After completion of the PT course, statistically significant improvements in hip joint mobility (p<0.05), increased muscle strength according to MMT results (p<0.01), and reduced pain intensity according to the VAS scale (p<0.01) were observed. More pronounced positive dynamics of functional indicators were found in children of the EG. The obtained results confirm the effectiveness of physical therapy in the comprehensive rehabilitation of children with LCPD and support the feasibility of using individualized rehabilitation programs
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