Postural stability, spinal alignment, mobility, and postural competency in women with unilateral lower extremity lymphedema after radical hysterectomy following gynecologic cancer: A case-control study

To compare postural stability, spinal alignment, mobility, and postural competency in women with unilateral lower extremity lymphedema after radical hysterectomy following gynecologic cancer with a matched control group. Twenty-seven women with unilateral lower extremity lymphedema (lymphedema group, age: 54.14 ± 5.80 years) and 30 healthy women (control group, age: 51.90 ± 6.54 years) were included. The lymphedema severity was evaluated with circumferential measurements. Postural stability with the Biodex Balance System SD and the spinal alignment, mobility, and postural competency with the Spinal Mouse device were assessed. In the lymphedema group, it was found that 3.7% of the women had mild lymphedema, 7.4% had moderate lymphedema, and 88.9% had severe lymphedema. Static eyes open (EO) (overall, medio-lateral and antero-posterior) and eyes closed (EC) (antero-posterior) stability scores and dynamic EO and EC stability scores (overall and antero-posterior) were detected to be higher in the lymphedema group than in the controls (p