Buggies

Special strollers are a popular and frequently used form of orthopaedic equipment used by parents and caregivers to transport stabilised patients. These strollers are primarily designed for mobility and transport, making it easier for patients and caregivers to move around. They are available in a variety of designs, from umbrella strollers to fully stabilised strollers, and are dedicated to patients with different diseases.

Besides driving characteristics, weight, ease of folding, and appearance, special attention should be paid to the body positioning system in which the special trolley is equipped. Patients often spend a significant portion of their day in special strollers; therefore, it is important to ensure that these strollers have certain characteristics.

One of the most important features of a special stroller is proper body positioning. This includes keeping the head and torso in the frontal plane, stabilising the head and shoulders, extending the torso, and stabilising the pelvis. Additionally, the backrest of the stroller and the footrest should be adjusted to maintain a neutral position of the shoulder girdle, head, and hip bend.

These strollers should also have appropriate side supports to prevent loss of a stable position and maintain therapeutic effects obtained during physiotherapy. It is important to adapt the seat depth to support the patient's thighs safely and maintain proper hip and knee joint angles. In cases of adductive tendency, lower limb separation with an abduction wedge or abduction belts is recommended.

The footrest height should be adjusted to ensure that the thigh rests along the entire length of the seat and the feet are at appropriate distances from each other parallel to the thighs.

Moreover, for maintaining safety, comfort, and cognitive development, the ability to change the child's direction of travel (forward or backwards facing) is important. Special strollers are most often used in patients with cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophies, paralysis of various origins, spinal bifurcation, meningeal hernias, conditions after spinal injuries, conditions after craniocerebral injuries, conditions after strokes, and posture defects, in particular, spinal scoliosis.