[Purpose] This study identifies the knowledge that Japanese pediatric physical therapists （PTs） should acquire during their undergraduate studies and continuing education for the successful application of lower extremity orthoses. [Participants and Methods] The study included 104 PTs questionnaires. We asked: Do physical therapy professionals possess sufficient knowledge to apply orthoses? Do you think that orthoses are studied adequately during undergraduate education and in continuing education? The participants that replied “No” answered further questions about insufficient knowledge. [Results] Items addressed during undergraduate studies and continuing education, which were marked as lacking sufficient knowledge, accounted for 40% of responses. Half of the responses were related to items in the questions about physical therapy today such as: “Evaluating the gait while partially adjusting the orthoses” and “Laws on the manufacturing and repair of orthoses.” These items were also included in the questions about undergraduate studies and continuing education. [Conclusion] The findings suggest a need to enhance knowledge of gait evaluations and laws about lower extremity orthoses among Japanese pediatric PTs during their undergraduate studies and continuing education.

View full abstract

【Purpose】 This study aimed to investigate the postnatal corrected age of hand grasping in very low-birth weight（ VLBW） infants by birth weight. 【Methods】 The participants were 66 VLBW infants without major neurological handicaps. The mean birth weight of the infant was 961 g. Hand grasping attainment and perinatal factors of the infants were examined. The study infants were divided into Group A （birth weight ＜1000 g） or B （1000 g ≦ birth weight ＜ 1500 g）. We analyzed the postnatal corrected age of hand grasping between the two groups. 【Results】 In terms of hand grasping, the infants in Group A（ 90th percentile, 7.3 months） were older than those in Group B（ 90th percentile, 6.8 months）. 【Conclusion】 Our results suggest that Infants with VLBW, particularly those with birth weight ＜1000 g are associated with a risk of delayed attainment of upper limb function early on. Therefore, early continuous assessment and developmental follow-up must be considered.

View full abstract

Objectives: To investigate the relationship between preference for physical activity and joint laxity in typically-developing preschool children. Methods: We evaluated joint laxity using Beighton score in 57 preschool children with typical development （54─81 months-of-age）. Joint laxity scores and demographic information （age, gender, height, and body weight） were compared according to their preferences for physical activity. The relationship between preference for physical activity and joint laxity was statistically examined using logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic analysis. Results: There was no significant difference in demographic information according to their preferences for physical activity. The total score of joint laxity in both knee joints and trunk was significantly low in children who preferred physical activity. In logistic regression analysis, the total score of joint laxity in both the knee joints and trunk were associated with preference for physical activity （odds ratio, 1.98; 95% CI, 0.99 ─ 3.97; p ＜ .05）. The optimal cutoff point on the total score of both knee joints and trunk was 0.5 for children with a preference for physical activity. Conclusions: This study suggests that the total score of joint laxity in both knee joints and trunk is related to preference for physical activity, and it would be an important sign.

View full abstract