Ambulation follow-up in patients with myelomeningocele treated at the Associação de Assistência à Criança Deficiente (AACD) in São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

Myelomeningocele (MMC) is a congenital malformation of the vertebral column and spinal cord, characterized by flaccid paraplegia and sensitive alteration below the lesion level, accompanied by neurological, urological and orthopedic impairment. The patients can be classified as thoracic (T), high lumbar (HL), low lumbar (LL) and sacral (S) or asymmetric. Objective: to describe the profile of the patients treated at the MMC Clinic of the Assistance Association to the Defective Child - AACD – SP, considering variables related to the gait pattern. Methods: review of files of the patients seen at the initial assessment during the year 2000, aged younger than one year and their follow-up until their last visit to clinic in the year 2004. Results: A total of 230 patients were seen at the initial assessment at the MMC Clinic of AACD - SP in the year 2000. Of these, 64 (27%) were younger than 1 year at the first assessment. Of these, 11% did not return to the Clinic after the initial assessment and two patients died. Mean age at the last visit to the Clinic was 3.5 years. When the neurological level at the return assessment was analyzed, we found: 43% of Thoracic level, 20% of High Lumbar level, 28% of Low Lumbar level, 2% Sacral level and 6% Asymmetric. When the gait pattern was analyzed, we observed that 57% of them were not ambulators, 7% were non-functional ambulators, 25% were home ambulators and 11% were community ambulators. Among the ambulating patients, the average age at the start of gait was 3 years. It is known that patients with lower neurological levels tend to maintain the gait for longer periods. As these patients tend to become less active and lose gait ability with the passing years (mainly due to obesity and orthopedic deformities), it is essential to study the age at acquisition of gait ability. When we analyzed the presence of orthopedic deformities in the column, we observed that 57% of the patients did not present deformities, 9% presented thoracolumbar scoliosis, 32% presented kyphosis and 1% presented hyperlordosis. Tethered spinal cord syndrome occurred in 36% of the patients. Conclusion: The higher functional levels are associated to a later acquisition of gait, as well as more orthopedic deformities and higher need for auxiliary means.