Diving into the complexity of joint pain and activity limitations in people with haemophilia

Chantrain, Valérie-Anne
(2023)

Files

Chantrain_doctoralthesis.pdf
  • Restricted Access
  • Adobe PDF
  • 2.58 MB

Details

Authors
  • Chantrain, Valérie-AnneUCLouvain
    author
Supervisors
Roussel, Nathalie
;
Meeus, Mira
;
Lambert, Catherine
Abstract
People with haemophilia (PwH) continue to bleed and bear the burden of past bleeds despite appropriate haematological treatments. Haemophilic arthropathy (HA) remains substantial and is often blamed to explain PwH’s joint pain and activity limitations, the latter being major issues. However, in other chronic joint conditions, joint pain and activity limitations are recognized as being multifactorial phenomena, which paved the way for better treatment strategies. In haemophilia, their complexity is still underexplored. The objective of this doctoral thesis was therefore to improve knowledge and understanding of PwH’s joint pain and activity limitations. Results of this thesis underline the multidimensional impact of pain in haemophilia and how joint pain should not be merely explained by the degree of haemophilic arthropathy. These findings call thus for a more comprehensive evaluation and holistic management of PwH’s joint pain. In regard to activity limitations, mainly haemophilia-related factors contributed to PwH’s functional limitations. Despite the definitive aspect of arthropathy, multidisciplinary strategies to increase or maintain PwH’s functional status could be proposed, similarly to what is currently offered in other chronic joint conditions. Finally, results of this thesis suggest that some PwH’s subgroups might be overlooked regarding their pain and joint issues: a proportion of those with mild haemophilia as well as elderly PwH.
Affiliations

Citations

Chantrain, V.-A. (2023). Diving into the complexity of joint pain and activity limitations in people with haemophilia. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/27134