The state of the locomotor apparatus in the visually impaired children and adolescents

This article was designed to report the results of the examination of the musculoskeletal system in 171 visually impaired children and adolescents at the age from 7 to 18 years with the use of the original equipment including a TODP topographic system and computed optical tomography (COT). The method is based on the projection of the structured images of the spinal column in the form dot matrices, systems of lines and stripes in three planes: frontal, horizontal, and sagittal. The majority of the patients were schoolchildren suffering from high complicated myopia, postoperative aphakia (pseudoaphakia) following the removal of congenital cataract, retinopathy of prematurity, optic nerve atrophy, and tapetoretinal abiotrophy of the retina. It was shown that changes in the spinal column, such as scoliosis, grade 1-2 kyphosis, hyperlordosis, and torsion, as well as flat foot, deformation of the lower extremities and the chest begin to manifest themselves in adolescence, i.e. during the period of the most intense growth in the children. It is concluded that both the means for the enhancement of the resolving power of the eye and the methods for stimulation of the development of the skeletal muscles must be employed in order to improve the posture in the visually impaired schoolchildren. The results of the present study suggest the necessity of regular examination of the locomotor apparatus of the schoolchildren to ensure the timely orthopedic correction of the emerging defects which is especially important during the childhood and adolescence.

visual impairment, children and adolescents, spinal deformation, computed optical tomography, examination and treatment techniques