Ergonomic aspects of planning the locomotor system reconstruction of patients with achondroplasia

Purpose. To substantiate the ergonometric approach to medical-and-social rehabilitation of patients with achondroplasia under operative reconstruction of the locomotor system (LMS). Materials and Methods. The work is based on the material obtained by anthropometric measuring 125 patients with achondroplasia at the age of 6-30 years. During the anthropometric study the measurements of longitudinal height sizes made in the standing and sitting position, as well as those of separate segments of the upper and lower limbs using generally accepted techniques and anatomic landmarks in orthopedic practice. Results. Patients with achondroplasia demonstrated their height in the sitting position to be practically not different from the age-related standard of 5th percentile females. Based on the skeletal structure features, the zones of optimal, easy and total reach-range are ergonomically reduced significantly in patients with achondroplasia (reduction of the longitudinal sizes of long tubular bones). Taking into account that the limb length deficit reaches 30 % of the age-related norm, it becomes evident that the reach-range zone is reduced in proportion to this measure. Conclusions. The anthropometric parameters of patients with achondroplasia must be maximally approximated to those analogous with the statistically averages of 5th percentile females.