Article

OBJECTIVE: To analyse long-term functional recovery, deficits and requirement of
lower limb orthosis (LLO) for locomotion in patients with Guillain-Barre Syndrome
(GBS). DESIGN: Prospective longitudinal follow-up study. SETTING: Neurological
Rehabilitation unit of university hospital. PATIENTS AND METHOD: Sixty-nine
patients of GBS admitted for inpatient rehabilitation. Thirty-five patients (M:F,
19:16) reporting after 1 year follow-up (50.72%) were included in study (between
September 2005 and July 2009). Their residual deficits and requirement of LLO
were recorded and analysed. RESULTS: Age ranged from 4 to 65 year (29.74 +/-
15.75). Twenty-seven patients had typical GBS and eight patients had acute motor
axonal neuropathy variant. Twenty-eight patients (80%) had neuropathic pain
needing medication with 11 required more than one drug. Twenty-one patients (60%)
had foot drop and advised ankle-foot orthosis-AFO (20 bilateral AFO). Thirty
patients (85.71%) needed assistive devices also for locomotion at discharge.
After 1 year, foot drop was still present in 12 patients (34.28%) using orthosis.
Modified Barthel Index scores, Modified Rankin Scale and Hughes Disability Scale
were used to assess functional disabilities. Significant recovery was observed at
the time of discharge and after 1 year (p < 0.001 each). CONCLUSIONS: Patients
with GBS continue to show significant functional recovery for long period. They
have residual deficits even after 1 year with requirement of orthosis in large
number of patients.

Langue : ANGLAIS