BACKGROUND: The treatment of patients with spinal deformities, such as developmental scoliosis in children with myelomeningocele, poses a formidable challenge. We observed the effects of a custom-made foot orthosis in a case of mild scoliosis with pelvic malalignment, in a patient with myelomeningocele.

CASE REPORT: The patient was a 5-year-old female who was diagnosed with myelomeningocele and who had a partial neurological deficit. At the time of the first visit, the patient showed moderate pelvic rotation to the clockwise side during gait and severe left anterior pelvic tilting during the drooping upper body. Radiographic images revealed mild lumbar scoliosis and severe pelvic asymmetry. After applying a custom-made foot orthosis for 8 months, the patient showed moderate improvement of pelvic rotation and tilting. Clinical biomechanical changes were well correlated with radiographic images.

CONCLUSIONS: These results highlight that custom-made foot orthosis controlling 3 motion planes of the pelvis had a corrective effect on mild lumbar scoliosis in a patient with myelomeningocele.

Keywords: Bone Malalignment, foot orthoses, Meningomyelocele, Scoliosis