Does lymphedema affect the postural stability in women after breast cancer?

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the static postural stability and fall risk of preelderly women with unilateral secondary lymphedema after breast cancer. Methods: This study was conducted on 46 preelderly women (24 with unilateral secondary lymphedema and 22 healthy) aged from 52 to 69 years. The Biodex Balance System was used to measure the parameters of postural stability and fall risk. The data acquisition involved 3 trials of 20 seconds to test the postural stability test. It was made in 3 directions (overall, anterior-posterior [AP], and mediolateral [ML]) and 2 conditions (once with open eyes, once with eyes closed). The fall-risk test was performed under the following conditions: (1) eyes open, firm surface; (2) eyes closed, firm surface; (3) eyes open, foam surface; and (4) eyes closed, foam surface. Results: For the postural stability, significant differences ( P ≤ .000) were observed in overall, AP, and ML displacement parameters in eyes closed condition between the lymphedema and healthy groups. There were no statistically significant differences in the fall-risk test results among the lymphedema and healthy group ( P > 0.05). Conclusion: Preelderly women with unilateral lymphedema exhibited a lower postural stability compared with health women. These results lead to think us that asymmetric fluid distribution in the upper body parts increases postural sway and leaving them more vulnerable to falls.