An American text-book of the diseases of children .. . extensors areat rest, while the base of support is broadened by the wide separation of thefeet. The lordosis disappears when the child is seated; but in an advancedstage of the disease, when the erectors of the spine are greatly weakened, akyphosis may for the time take its place. When standing the patientmay be able to raise himself on his toes, but cannot spring from the floor. Inordinary natural walking, while one foot is off the ground and is being pro-pelled forward the centre of gravity of the body falls much nearer the medianline th
An American text-book of the diseases of children .. . extensors areat rest, while the base of support is broadened by the wide separation of thefeet. The lordosis disappears when the child is seated; but in an advancedstage of the disease, when the erectors of the spine are greatly weakened, akyphosis may for the time take its place. When standing the patientmay be able to raise himself on his toes, but cannot spring from the floor. Inordinary natural walking, while one foot is off the ground and is being pro-pelled forward the centre of gravity of the body falls much nearer the medianline than the supporting foot, and, indeed, it continues to move toward theopposite side until the advancing foot reaches the ground and receives theweight of the body. During this time the weight of the body is sustainedupon the head of the fixed femur, principally by the glutei muscles. In pseudo-hypertrophic paralysis, these muscles being too weak to perform their task, thepatient relieves them by throwing the body far over to the side of the sustain- 49. Pseudo-hypertrophic Muscu-lar Paraly-i- 770 AMERICAN TEXT-BOOK OF DISEASES OF CHILDREN. ing foot, thus bringing the weight over the point of support, while the otherleg swings forward. This manoeuvre, being repeated alternately for the twolimbs, gives a peculiar and characteristic swaying motion of the body from sideto side in walking. This false position of the trunk and the weakness of the-extensors of the knee hinder the foot being projected forward to the length ofa full step, and, instead of the heel touching the ground first, as is usual inwalking, the ball of the foot or the toes first descend, giving the appearance ofan attempt to step softly. This stepping on the toes is sometimes caused by acontraction of the muscles of the calf, which may occur early in the disease. Very characteristic and almost pathognomonic of this disease are themanoeuvres executed by the child in getting into the erect from the recumbentposition. T
Size: 939px × 2663px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade189, booksubjectchildren, bookyear1895
