Article

The Achilles tendon plays an important role in soleus and
gastrocnemius muscle functions, including proper muscle force transmission and
movement generation. However, few studies have examined concurrent changes of
tendon and muscle properties in neurologic disorders. The objective of this study
was to investigate the morphologic characteristics of both the calf muscle
fascicles and the Achilles tendon in children with cerebral palsy (CP). DESIGN: A
cross-sectional study was planned, and 12 children with CP and 11 typically
developing children participated in this study. For both groups, B-mode
ultrasonography was used to evaluate the architecture of the medial gastrocnemius
muscle, including fascicle length and pennation angle at various ankle (20, 10,
and 0 degrees plantar flexion and 10 degrees dorsiflexion) and knee (full
extension and 90 degrees flexion) positions. The length and cross-sectional area
of the Achilles tendon were also evaluated using ultrasonography. RESULTS: For
both CP and control groups, muscle fascicle length, pennation angle, and Achilles
tendon length and cross-sectional area varied with ankle and knee positions
systematically. Compared with controls, children with CP had shorter muscle
fascicles across the tested ankle range of motion (P </= 0.003), longer Achilles
tendon (P = 0.001), and smaller cross-sectional area of the Achilles tendon (P =
0.003). CONCLUSIONS: The changes in Achilles tendon properties could be a result
of adaptation to calf muscle fascicle shortening and stiffening, which may affect
performance of the muscles. A better understanding of the interactions between
calf muscle fascicles and Achilles tendon in children with CP may help treat the
pathologic changes more effectively.

Langue : ANGLAIS