Authors: Mădălina-Gabriela Barbu1, Miruna Dima1, Horaţiu Dinu2, Mihai Berteanu2
Affiliation
1 Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Elias University Hospital Bucharest
2 Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Elias University Hospital, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest
Abstract
Background. Camptocormia (CC), also known as “bent spine syndrome”, is still an unfamiliar affliction to many practitioners. Although it has no definitive treatment, when diagnosed in time, its signs and symptoms can be significantly alleviated by physical therapy.
Aim. The aim of this paper is to present a clinical case along with recent literature data, in the hope of raising awareness of this condition that has serious implications on patient quality of life.
Case. In the current paper, we present the case of an 85-year-old female patient who was admitted to the hospital for chronic lumbar pain and an inability to maintain vertical posture while walking, symptoms that had emerged more than ten years before, but worsened in the last year. After ruling out alternate disorders, the patient was diagnosed with idiopathic camptocormia. During her two-week stay in the Rehabilitation Department, the patient benefited from physical and pharmacological therapy, with minimal alleviation of her symptoms probably due to the long-term evolution of the disease.
Conclusions. Camptocormia is a serious disorder that usually has a long evolution (years) and severely affects the patient’s independence and quality of life. When diagnosed in time, specific rehabilitation treatment can be administered, with significantly better results than those achieved after chronic muscle alterations are established, like in the case of our patient.
Key words: camptocormia, “bent spine syndrome”, chronic lumbar pain, physical therapy.
