Positional abnormalities during sleep in children affected by obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: the putative role of kinetic muscular chains

"Sleep-related breathing disorders (SRBD) are disorders of breathing during sleep characterized by prolonged partial upper airway obstruction, intermittent complete or partial obstruction (obstructive apnea or hypopnea), or both prolonged and intermittent obstruction that disrupts normal ventilation during sleep, normal sleep patterns, or both. Children with OSAS may sleep in unusual positions, such as seated or with neck hyperextended, even if the neck position is not the only unusual posture or the special sleeping positions that is possible to detect in children with SRBD. We have hypothesized that the assumption of unusual posture during sleep, in particular legs retracting or crossing during sleep, could be a way to enlarge the diaphragmatic excursion and promoting the alveolar gas exchanges avoiding the stress of the antero-lumbar and prevertebral muscular chains in SRBD subjects. We have hypothesized that the assumption of unusual posture during sleep, in particular legs retracting or crossing during sleep, could be a way to enlarge the diaphragmatic excursion and promoting the alveolar gas exchanges avoiding the stress of the antero-lumbar and prevertebral muscular chains in SRBD subjects. We can postulate that the prevertebral and antero-lumbar muscular chains could be oversolicited during the apnoic events, and the assumption of abnormal posture could be interpreted as a way to relax or diminish the strain or muscular stress caused by the apneas. The consequence of this hypothesis could be summarized in the concept that a specific rehabilitation or muscular program to improve the tone of this kinetic chain, could be useful to limit the effect nocturnal or diurnal of this so impacting syndrome."