Abstract
Background
Studies suggest that 50% of children with cerebral palsy are prescribed ankle foot
orthoses. One of the aims of ankle foot orthosis use is to aid in walking. This research
examined the effects that ankle foot orthoses have on the energy recovery and the
mechanical work performed by children with cerebral palsy during walking.
Methods
Twenty-one children with spastic diplegia walked with and without their prescribed
bilateral ankle foot orthoses. Ten of the subjects wore articulated (hinged) orthoses
and 11 subjects wore solid orthoses. Three dimensional kinematic data were collected
and between and within group repeated measures ANOVAs were applied to the dependent
measures.
Findings
The results were similar for both groups. There was an increase in stride length,
energy recovery, and potential energy and the kinetic energy variation. There was
no change in the mechanical work performed to walk or the normalized center of mass
vertical excursion. Unfortunately, the increase in energy recovery did not alter the
external work, as it was offset by increased variation in the potential and kinetic
energies of the center of mass. There was a great deal of variability in the measured
work, with both large increases and decreases in the work of individual subjects when
wearing orthoses.
Interpretation
These results suggest that current ankle foot orthoses can reduce the work to walk,
but do not do so for many children with cerebral palsy. This research suggests that
ankle foot orthosis prescription could be aided by measuring the mechanical work during
walking.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: October 24, 2011
Accepted:
September 14,
2011
Received:
April 25,
2011
Identification
Copyright
© 2011 Elsevier Ltd. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
