Analysis of partial body weight support during treadmill and overground walking of children with cerebral palsy.

OBJECTIVE

to analyze the spatial-temporal characteristics and joint angles during overground walking without body weight support (BWS) and with 0% and 30% BWS, and during treadmill walking with the same BWS in children with cerebral palsy.

METHODS

six children with hemiplegic and spastic cerebral palsy (7.70 ± 1.04 years old) were videotaped during overground walking at a comfortable speed with no BWS, with 0% and 30% BWS, and during treadmill walking with 0% and 30% BWS. Reflective markers were placed over main bony landmarks in both body sides to register the coordinates "x", "y", "z".

RESULTS

during overground walking, children walked faster and presented longer and faster strides, longer duration of single-stance and swing periods, and shorter duration of double-stance period, than treadmill walking, regardless of BWS use. The hip was the only joint that presented a difference between body sides and experimental conditions; i.e. range of motion (ROM) was reduced in the plegic side when compared to the nonplegic side, and during overground walking without BWS when compared to 30% BWS.

CONCLUSION

children with hemiplegic and spastic cerebral palsy were able to walk overground and on a treadmill with different percentages of BWS, and their performance was superior during overground walking, regardless of BWS use.