Treatment of Deformational Plagiocephaly With Physiotherapy

Non-synostotic plagiocephaly consists in an asymmetry of the skull due to mechanical forces applied in utero or postnatally: main differential diagnosis is with true synostotic asymmetry, which is caused by the premature closure of a suture. The correction of positional forms is mostly conservative, with 3 main strategies: counterpositioning, physiotherapy and helmet therapy. There is no synthesized evidence on which is the most effective.1,2 The Authors evaluate the modification of antropometric measurments before and after a pediatric physical therapy program in a sample of patients with non-synostotic skull asymmetry, in order to evaluate the improvements in the skull shape. The hypothesis being tested was that physical therapy alone could improve the antropometric measurments. The authors enrolled in this study 24 patients diagnosed of non-synostotic asymmetry, clinically and with ultrasound, referred to the Maxillo-facial Unit of Policlinico Umberto I, Rome, within 2013 and 2016. A standardized pediatric physical therapy intervention program was designed: it consisted in a combination of excercises and manipulative procedures to reduce positional preference, musculoskeletal disorders and cranial deformity. Infants received 16 sessions of physical therapy, of 40 minutes each, once a week, for four months.3,4 The Authors evaluate the variation of four anthropometric measurments, performed before and after the physical therapy program: Argenta scale, Oblique Diameter Differ...
Source: Journal of Craniofacial Surgery - Category: Surgery Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research