Exploring Posturography in Children with Sickle Cell Disease.

Introduction: Sickle cell disease (SCD) affects 1 in every 350 newborns in the United States. Children with SCD are at risk for impaired postural control. The purpose of this study was to explore if children with SCD have impaired postural control as compared to age- and sex-matched controls.

Methods: Twenty-eight children between the ages of 6 and 17 years were recruited for the study including children with SCD and age- and sex-matched controls. Posturography measures included Limits of Stability (LOS) and Modified Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction in Balance (mCTSIB) testing and balance was measured using the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, 2nd Edition (BOT-2).

Results: There were no between-group differences in posturography measures. Children with SCD had significantly poorer BOT-2 balance performance as compared to age- and sex-matched controls ( < 0.001).

Conclusion: This sample of children with SCD does not demonstrate impairments in posturography as measured by limits of stability and sensory integration despite having significantly impaired balance compared to peers. Additional research is necessary to determine why children with SCD demonstrate gross balance impairments without concurrent impairments in postural control.