The Effects of Mastectomy and Breast Reconstruction on Body Posture and Biomechanical Aspects

The purpose of this chapter is to highlight the main changes on the biomechanical aspects focused in posture, body balance and gait of women with breast cancer after surgical treatment of mastectomy, with or without placement of the breast prosthesis. In summary, women with mastectomy showed posture changes, such as asymmetry of trunk and shoulder girdle and greater forward leaning of the trunk. Furthermore, were observed asymmetry of the pelvis, scapula and shoulder one year after the mastectomy with radiotherapy. Women’s with mastectomy showed lymphedema, head rotation to the right, protrusion of the left shoulder, and trunk inclination angle smaller on the operated side, besides bilateral elevation of the scapula. However, women’s post immediate breast reconstruction, with abdominal flaps, demonstrated asymmetry in the vertical alignment of the trunk with greater asymmetry between the acronyms and greater trochanters, which can change trunk balance. The weight of external breast prosthesis can also contribute to posture changes in women post mastectomy, such as asymmetry of the head due to erector spinal muscle activity imbalance in women with mastectomy. Changes in the gait parameters-velocity, cadence, time and step length also were observed with and without prosthesis. These clarifications may provide reliable information for the prescription of physical exercise, such as intervention protocols with exercise for posture and upper kinetic chain, as well as feet motion-control during gait for better postural balance after mastectomy or placement of the prosthesis.