Posture Analysis for Patients With Haemophilia

Hemophilia A and B are inherited disorders characterized by deficient or missing coagulation factors VIII or IX, respectively, of which the main long-term clinical manifestation is joint damage. Patients with haemophilia (PwH) are susceptible to clinical joint bleeding that may cause irreversible joint damage. Some degree of damage may already occur after the first haemarthrosis or even in children who never experienced clinically evident joint bleeds. Joints are mechanical systems with a structure strictly related to functioning. Therefore, any alteration in structure may have an impact on function (starting from the primary level of posture and anti-gravity muscles), which might in turn stress the joints and increase the risk of bleeding.The primary aim of this study is to investigate the changes in posture and the mechanical properties of anti-gravity muscles of adolescent PwH. The secondary aim is to determine the effect of joint dysfunction on posture in adolescent PwH.