Relative phase measures of intersegmental coordination describe motor control impairments in children with cerebral palsy who exhibit stiff-knee gait

Clinical Biomechanics
James J CarolloJoanne Valvano

Abstract

The purpose of this retrospective study was to explore lower limb intersegmental coordination as a clinically important indicator of motor control mechanisms in individuals with cerebral palsy exhibiting stiff-knee gait. We used the relative phase of thigh and foot segments around foot-off to describe motor control, given the relevance of the pre-swing phase of gait to the existence of stiff-knee gait. Traditional gait parameters and thigh/foot intersegmental coordination were calculated using pre-and postoperative kinematic data from a cohort of 54 subjects (92 legs) with spastic cerebral palsy. All participants had stiff-knee gait, walked without assistive devices, and underwent rectus femoris transfer surgery to improve swing period knee flexion. Analyses included correlations between a) preoperative intersegmental coordination and gait variables (knee flexion range, rate and gait performance) and b) pre-to-postoperative intersegmental coordination change and change in gait variables. Thigh/foot intersegmental coordination significantly (P < 0.001) correlated with knee flexion range, rate and walking speed. Postoperative intersegmental coordination was significantly more uncoupled than preoperative. Pre-to-postoperative inte...Continue Reading

Citations

Aug 29, 2019·Journal of Neuroengineering and Rehabilitation·Raza N MalikTania Lam

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