Pediatric Rheumatology Online Journal → June 2003 → Rehabilitation→ Abstract #73

THE USE OF GAIT VIDEO TO AID IN THE CARE OF CHILDREN WITH JUVENILE RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS AND AS A TEACHING TOOL FOR HOUSESTAFF: A PRACTICAL AND ECONOMIC APPROACH

D. Rothman,¹ G. Gorton,¹ S. A. Flanagan,¹ O. F. Kelly,¹ M. T. Nahorniak

¹Pediatrics and Rheumatology, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Springfield, MA

Gait abnormalities are common in children with JRA. It has become standard practice in our clinic to obtain a gait video at the initial evaluation of any child with an abnormal gait. This can be done in children as young as 1 year of age. This is repeated after interventions such as joint injections and medication changes, usually every 6 to 12 months for children with active disease. The videos are then transferred to a laptop computor and used for reviewing clinical progress, for educating both parents and patients, and for teaching housestaff.
The purpose of this presentation is to show how to set this up in clinics with limited time, space, and financial resources.
Representative videos of the 3 major types of childhood arthritis, both at diagnosis and after therapy, are included in this presentation.