Article

Ankle foot orthoses (AFOs) are prescribed for ambulatory children with spastic
diplegia to improve biomechanical alignment and functional capability. The
purpose of this study was to employ quantitative motion analysis of the lower
extremity to investigate two rehabilitative orthotics. The effects of hinged
ankle foot orthoses (HAFO) and dynamic ankle foot orthoses (DAFO) for joint ankle
management in children with cerebral palsy were compared. Sixteen (16)
independently ambulatory children with a diagnosis of spastic diplegic cerebral
palsy (7.5 +/- 2.9 yrs.) were included in the study. The biomechanical effects of
two AFO designs were compared to barefoot using a 3-D motion analysis system.
Significant differences between braced and unbraced conditions were found in peak
ankle dorsiflexion, and peak ankle plantarflexion, knee stance peak flexion, knee
swing peak flexion, hip stance peak flexion, and peak ankle plantarflexion moment
(p < 0.01). Differences between the HAFO and DAFO were not seen in the kinematic
and kinetic metrics. Further development of dynamic testing is suggested in order
to advance our understanding of orthotic intervention. The value of quantitative
description of gait dynamics is clearly indicated for rehabilitative application.

Langue : ANGLAIS