Abstract
Gait analysis is one aspect of evaluation in ambulatory children with cerebral palsy (CP). Ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs) improve gait and alignment through providing support. An alternative and under-researched orthosis are sensomotoric orthoses (SMotOs). The Edinburgh Visual Gait Score (EVGS) is a valid observational gait analysis scale to measure gait quality. The aim of this study was to use the EVGS to determine what effect AFOs and SMotOs have on gait in children with CP. The inclusion criteria were: mobilizing children with a CP diagnosis, no surgery in the past six weeks, and currently using SMotOs and AFOs. Eleven participants were videoed walking 5 m (any order) barefoot, in SMotOs and AFOs. Of the participants (age range 3–13 years, mean 5.5 ± 2.9), two were female and six used assistive devices. Seven could walk barefoot. Participants had spastic diplegia (4), spastic quadriplegia (6), and spastic dystonic quadriplegia (1). Gross Motor Functional Classification System (GMFCS) levels ranged I–IV. The total score for SMotOs (7.62) and AFOs (14.18) demonstrated improved gait when wearing SMotOs (no significant differences between barefoot and AFOs). SMotOs may be a viable option to improve gait in this population. Additional study is required but SMotOs may be useful in clinical settings.
Highlights
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a neurodevelopmental condition well recognized to begin at birth or early childhood and persist through the lifespan [1]
Instrumented gait analysis is the gold standard for the evaluation of movement [4] but requires highly technological equipment in a specialised gait laboratory
This study aims to compare the changes in gait from barefoot when children with CP are this study aims to compare the changes in gait from barefoot when children with CP are wearing wearing sensomotoric orthoses (SMotOs) and Ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs), through use of the Edinburgh Visual Gait Score (EVGS)
Summary
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a neurodevelopmental condition well recognized to begin at birth or early childhood and persist through the lifespan [1]. It has been defined as a group of permanent disorders of the development of movement and postures, causing activity limitation through spasticity [2,3], muscle weakness, impaired postural control, and selective motor control as some of the primary manifestations of this brain injury [3]. CP is often accompanied by disturbances of sensation, perception, cognition, communication, behavior, and by epilepsy One of these activity limitations may be the ability and co-ordination for walking (gait), with control of movements and postures being affected. Observational gait assessment is considered as a cost effective alternate for instrumented gait analysis in regular clinical
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