BACKGROUND Although equinus is more common in cerebral palsy (CP), the prevalence of calcaneal gait (CG) has been reported at more than 30% among patients with CP, even in the absence of prior surgical intervention. The goal of this study was to identify patient characteristics predictive of the development of CG in patients without prior triceps surae lengthening. METHODS Gait data were revi...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effectiveness of ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs) in spastic diplegic cerebral palsy patients for whom orthoses were indicated to control equinus or pes planovalgus deformities. DESIGN A retrospective, cross-sectional assessment was performed on diplegic subjects who had suitable barefoot and AFO gait trials on the same day. PATIENTS Thirty-five subjects with a mean age ...

BACKGROUND Computer simulations have demonstrated that excessive hip and knee flexion during gait, as frequently seen in ambulatory children with cerebral palsy (CP), can reduce the ability of muscles to provide antigravity support and increase the tendency of hip muscles to internally rotate the thigh. These findings suggest that therapies for improving upright posture during gait also may red...

INTRODUCTION The floor reaction ankle-foot orthosis is commonly prescribed in the attempt to decrease knee flexion during the stance phase in the cerebral palsy (CP) gait. Reported information about this type of orthosis is insufficient. PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of clinically prescribed floor reaction ankle-foot orthosis on kinematic parameters of the hip,...

Able-bodied individuals spontaneously adopt crouch gait when walking with induced anterior trunk flexion, but the effect of this adaptation on lower-limb kinetics is unknown. Sustained forward trunk displacement during walking can greatly alter body center-of-mass location and necessitate a motor control response to maintain upright balance. Understanding this response may provide insight into ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Despite evidence of weakness in children with cerebral palsy, the use of strength training in this population remains controversial. SUBJECTS Fourteen children with spastic diplegia, ranging in age from 6 to 14 years (X = 9.1, SD = 2.5), participated in a bilateral quadriceps femoris muscle strengthening program. METHODS The children exercised three times per week for...