Electric goniometer for positioning children with cerebral palsy. Suggestion from the field.

The spatial relationship between the angle of inclination of a seating system's backrest from the seat and the hip flexion angle has not been established for children with cerebral palsy. Therefore, the child's hip flexion angle should not be described as the angle between the seat and the backrest unless the relationship between the hip flexion angle and the backrest's angle of inclination is established. The purpose of this article is to describe the components, operation, and uses of an electric goniometer designed to monitor and measure changes in hip flexion angle while positioning children with cerebral palsy. The position of the hip joint during sitting is crucial to the overall effectiveness of the seating system for children with cerebral palsy. Clinical observations and research results suggest that the position of the hip joint contributes to controlling hyperactive muscle activity. Because the pelvis serves as the base of support for the proximal segments of the body in the sitting position, the hip flexion angle also affects the functions of the trunk, head and neck, and upper extremities. Several studies have been conducted to determine the effect of hip flexion angle on specific variables in children and young adults with cerebral palsy. The seats and backrests of specially constructed positioning devices were angled specifically to alter the hip flexion angle. Although hip flexion angle was not measured directly, the results obtained in these studies were attributed to changes in hip flexion angle. Changes in the angle between the seat and the backrest may affect not only the hip flexion angle but also the lumbar spine. Changes in hip flexion angle, therefore, may be attributed partly to lumbar lordosis.