Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common rheumatic disease of childhood. The consequences of an active disease are swollen and painful joints, which could provoke long-lasting functional limitations and physical inactivity of JIA patients. The general aim of therapy is to identify dysfunctions at an early state to prevent fixed deformities and to help affected children returning to normal and age-appropriated functional capacity. Established biomechanical methods are used to objectively identify functional deficits in everyday activities of JIA patients. Motion analyses were done in 133 JIA-affected children and adolescents in upright standing, stance phase of walking and postural instability conditions. In the three studies included, a patient group with the same affected lower limb joint pattern, a patient group with a fixed pes planovalgus deformity and a patient group with active and formerly active (inactive) lower limb disease were evaluated. The results of three-dimensional gait analyses and pedobarography of the first two studies demonstrated significant impairments in walking, whereas balance assessments of the third study revealed excellent skills of JIA patients compared to healthy control children. Functional analyses can contribute to clinical routine outcome measures and should enhance individual treatment and physical activity promotion. Therefore, an individual physical activity and sports promotion concept has been developed.weiterlesen