Functioning and ageing with late-onset sequelae of poliomyelitis

The cover design is based on a 3000 year old Egyptian hieroglyph depicting a Syrian boy named Ruma, who at 5 years old got very sick with pain in his head and his leg ached. His father carried the boy to the temple where they believed the priest would cure him with powerful magic. The story of Ruma is perhaps the earliest pictorial record of Polio. The stone tablet (stele) tells the story of Ruma, now a grown man and temple priest, with a withered right leg, holding a long stick to use as a crutch. He is shown with his wife and a gazelle for the goddess he believed saved his life. The studies were part of the research programme Musculoskeletal Disorders of the Institute for Research in Extramural Medicine (EMGO). The studies presented in this thesis were supported by a grant from the Netherlands organization for health research and development (ZonMw). Financial support for the printing of this thesis has been kindly provided by Coloplast BV, Chapter 1 Introduction and outline of the thesis 7 Chapter 2 Chapter 2.1 The course of functional status and muscle strength in patients with late-onset sequelae of poliomyelitis: a systematic review 17 Chapter 2.2 The course of functional status and muscle strength in patients with late-onset sequelae of poliomyelitis: an update of the literature (July 2004 – July 2009) 37 Chapter 3 The WOMAC-PF as a measure of physical function in patients with Parkinson's disease and late-onset sequelae of poliomyelitis: internal consistency and item behaviour 45 Chapter 4 SF-36 physical functioning scale and 2-minute walking test advocated as core qualifiers to evaluate physical functioning in patients with late-onset sequelae of poliomyelitis 61 Chapter 5 Impact of age and co-morbidity on the functioning of patients with sequelae of poliomyelitis: a cross-sectional study 75 Chapter 6 The impact of age and co-morbidity on the progression of disability in late-onset sequelae of poliomyelitis