Beschreibung:
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:sec><jats:title>Background</jats:title><jats:p>Clinical key aspects of camptocormia in patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">PD</jats:styled-content>) await further definition.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods</jats:title><jats:p>Based on a self‐assessment of <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">PD</jats:styled-content> patients, we performed an observational study, asking patients with subjectively felt involuntary forward bending to return a questionnaire and provide photographs showing their axial disorder. Forty‐two matched <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">PD</jats:styled-content> patients without subjective signs of camptocormia were recruited as controls.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results</jats:title><jats:p>The stooped posture of patients with advanced <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">PD</jats:styled-content> without camptocormia is characterized by a forward bending angle of always less than 30 degrees. Of the 145 camptocormia patients in our study, 70% had an angle ≥30 degrees. The patients with a more‐severe forward bending angle were more severely affected in daily life than those with an angle of less than 30 degrees. Back pain was more frequent (81% vs. 43%) and more severe in <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">PD</jats:styled-content> patients with camptocormia than in controls. Back diseases in camptocormia <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">PD</jats:styled-content> patients were also significantly more frequent than in the <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">PD</jats:styled-content> control patients (55% vs. 26%). Camptocormia is a relevant burden in everyday life. Seventy‐seven percent of patients needed walking aids and 85% reported specific disabilities attributed to camptocormia (e.g. increased risk of falling, dyspnea, problems in eating or swallowing).</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusions</jats:title><jats:p>Camptocormia cannot be clinically defined based on the forward bending angle alone, but an angle larger than 30 degrees is only found in camptocormia. Back pain is an essential aspect of camptocormia in <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">PD</jats:styled-content>. Back diseases can be seen as a risk factor in these patients.</jats:p></jats:sec>