Article

The aim of this study was to analyze the displacements of center of pressure
(COP) using an in-shoe recording system (F-Scan) before and after motor nerve
block and neurotomy of the tibial nerve in spastic equinovarus foot. Thirty-nine
patients (age 45 +/- 15 yr) underwent a motor nerve block; 16 (age 38 +/- 15.2
yr) had tibial neurotomy, combined with tendinous surgery (n = 9). The displacement of the COP (anteroposterior [AP], lateral deviation [LD], posterior
margin [PM]) was compared between paretic and nonparetic limbs before and after
block and surgery. At baseline, the nonparetic limb had a higher AP (17.3 vs 12.3
cm, p < 0.001) and LD (4.0 vs 3.3 cm, p = 0.001) and a smaller PM (2.9 vs 4.7 cm,
p = 0.001). For the paretic limb, a significant increase of AP was observed after
block (13.5 vs 12.3 cm, p = 0.02) and after surgery (13.7 vs 12.3 cm, p = 0.03).
A significant decrease of PM was observed after surgery (4.5 vs 3.3 cm, p <
0.001) with no more difference between two limbs (2.8 vs 3.3 cm; p = 0.44). This
study shows that the F-Scan system can be used to quantify impairments and be
useful to evaluate the effects of treatment for spastic foot. It suggests that
changes in AP displacement following block may predict the effects of neurotomy.

Langue : ANGLAIS