Modulation of the angle of rigid ankle-foot orthosis to control knee hyperextension in children with unilateral cerebral palsy

The aim of this study was to compare the effects of a modified 5° dorsiflexion ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) to the traditional right angle rigid AFO on controlling knee hyperextension and improving spatiotemporal gait parameters in children with unilateral cerebral palsy (CP). We used a pretest-posttes...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Shafeek, Marian M., Aly, Sobhy M., Ahmed, Yomna F., Ibrahim, Hoda M.
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2023
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Murcia
Repositorio:DIGITUM. Depósito Digital Institucional de la Universidad de Murcia
OAI Identifier:oai:digitum.um.es:10201/142956
Acceso en línea:https://doi.org/10.6018/sportk.564701
http://hdl.handle.net/10201/142956
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Ankle-foot orthoses
Cerebral palsy
Gait kinematics
Knee hyperextension
CDU::7 Bellas artes::79 - Diversiones. Espectáculos. Cine. Teatro. Danza. Juegos.Deportes
Descripción
Sumario:The aim of this study was to compare the effects of a modified 5° dorsiflexion ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) to the traditional right angle rigid AFO on controlling knee hyperextension and improving spatiotemporal gait parameters in children with unilateral cerebral palsy (CP). We used a pretest-posttest experimental design in which forty children (2-6 years) of both genders with unilateral CP were randomly assigned into two equal groups (A and B). Group A used a traditional right angle rigid AFO and received a selective exercise program to enhance walking pattern while group B used a modified 5° dorsiflexion rigid AFO and received the same exercise program as group A. Assessments for the knee angle during mid-stance and spatiotemporal gait parameters were done pre and post-intervention programs for both groups. All statistical analyses were conducted using the Statistical Package for Social Studies (SPSS) version 25 for windows (IBM SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA). There was a significant decrease in the knee angle in mid-stance post-treatment in groups A and B compared to pre-treatment (p < 0.001) but a significant increase in spatiotemporal gait parameters post-treatment in groups A and B compared to pre-treatment (p < 0.001). There was a significant decrease in the knee angle in mid-stance of group B compared to group A in post-treatment (p > 0.001). However, there was no significant difference in spatiotemporal gait parameters between groups post treatment (p > 0.05). In conclusion, using a rigid AFO improves the spatiotemporal gait parameters and decreases knee hyperextension for children with unilateral CP. Furthermore, a modified 5° dorsiflexion rigid AFO is recommended for better control of knee hyperextension than a traditional right angle rigid AFO for such cases.