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IntroductionCivilization development coupled with contemporary lifestyle leads to a systematic increase in postural disorders. An analysis of factors that may provoke postural disorders indicates that such a stimulus may be the diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles. Moreover, abnormal activity of the rectus abdominis muscles may affect balance disorders through reduced spinal stabilization and disturbed body statics. There is an increase in body posture abnormalities between the ages of 6 and 9 related to new school duties.Purpose of the StudyThe purpose of the study was to evaluate the relationship between the shape of the spine and the width of the linea alba in children aged 6–9 years.Material and MethodThe study was designed to evaluate parameters determining the shape of the spine, and the width of the linea alba in healthy children aged 6–9 years. The study participants were divided into two groups based on the width of the linea alba. The study group with the width of the linea alba >10 mm and the control group with the width of the linea alba ≤ 10 mm. The study group were included 37 children and the control group 24 children. The examination of the linea alba width was performed by a radiology specialist using a linear transducer and SAOTE- My Lab Classc-type ultrasound at rest and during contraction of the rectus abdominis muscles. Parameters describing the shape of the spine were measured using the Diers Formetric 4D system: trunk inclination, trunk imbalance, pelvis tilt, pelvic torsion, kyphotic apex, lordotic apex, kyphotic angle, lordotic angle, rotation angle, trunk torsion, lateral deviation. The obtained results were statistically analyzed using a Paired t test for comparison of differences between the results in the study and control groups and Pearson's test to assess the correlation between the width of the linea alba and parameters describing spinal alignment.ResultsIn both groups, the parameters describing the shape of the spine did not differ from the norms accepted as typical for the age norm. The only statistically significant difference between the study and control group concerned the trunk inclination, which was negative in the study group, signifying a shift of the entire spine axis backwards beyond the vertical.ConclusionsThere is a correlation between the shape of spine and the width of the linea alba in terms of selected parameters determining the body posture in the sagittal plane, which concern: the position of the lumbar lordotic apex, trunk inclination and the depth of the lumbar lordotic angle. The width of the linea alba is not explicitly related to abnormalities of pelvic and spinal alignment in the frontal and transverse planes.

Objective: An increase in the appearance of chest pain among children is observed globally. The authors present various reasons for their appearance. As can be seen from numerous observations, the majority of cases are not related to the pathology of the circulatory system. Increasingly, studies on the causes of chest pain in children show their association with musculoskeletal disorders.Aim: of the work was assessment of body posture in children with chest pain using the Diers Formetric 4D system.Methods: The study involved a group of 184 female and male children, aged 7–12 years. The study group consisted of 64 patients with chest pain. The children from this group were diagnosed with functional chest pain by a cardiologist. The control group consisted of 120 patients without chest pain. The study included the assessment of body posture using the DIERS Formetric system.Results: The analysis of the results obtained during the study showed that among the children with chest pain, there are statistically significant irregularities in the parameters determining body posture compared to the control group.Comparing the study group with the control group, there is a statistically significant difference in the lateral deviation of VPDM (rms) (mm) (p = 0.001). Both children from the test group aged 9–10 and 11–12 obtained higher results than their peers from the control group. In the group of the youngest children in terms of the lateral deviation of VPDM (rms) (mm), increasing the number of children under study would contribute to significant differences in this variable.In the study group, among children aged 9–10 years, there were also statistically significant abnormalities regarding trunk imbalance and pelvic skewness compared to the children of the same age in the control group.Conclusions: Irregularities in the parameters determining body posture may cause chest pain in children.

Background and Purpose: Children who have survived cancer are at risk of experiencing adverse effects of the cancer or its treatments. One of the adverse effects may be the limitation of ankle dorsiflexion (DF), which may result in “toe walking.” Although there is an increasing number of studies in pediatric oncology presenting evidences of different therapeutic interventions to improve DF function, none of these therapeutic interventions has been sufficiently documented. This case report shows the results of non-invasive neurodevelopmental treatment program combined with application of inhibiting casts in a pediatric cancer patient who presented with severe and persistent toe walking. The treatment was aimed to improve DF function and postural and gait pattern and to normalize weight distribution between forefoot and heel.Case Presentation: A 7-year-old girl with T-cell lymphoma, who presented with severe and persistent toe walking, was assessed 10 times over a course of 6 months by both clinical examination (ankle range of motion measurement) and neurophysiological measures (weight distribution between forefoot and hindfoot, postural sway, body posture, and gait).Outcomes: Neurodevelopmental treatment program combined with application of inhibiting casts for 3 months increased passive ankle DF by 10° in both lower limbs, normalized weight distribution between the forefoot and heel in both lower limbs, as well as established a heel-toe walking gait pattern. Improved ankle DF function and normalized postural and gait patterns were maintained in repeated examinations even 3 months after the removal inhibiting casts.Discussion: Early identification of toe walking in the female pediatric patient with T-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and early physiotherapy intervention were beneficial in terms of her body posture and gait pattern development. Non-invasive neurodevelopmental treatment program combined with application of inhibiting casts as described in this study can be useful for managing treatment side effects in pediatric cancer patients.