Article

PURPOSE: To describe daily walking stride rate patterns of young children with
cerebral palsy (CP) as compared to a typically developing youth (TDY) cohort
relative to age and functional level. METHOD: A cross-sectional comparison cohort
study compared 209 youth with CP with 368 TDY aged 2-13 years. Youth with CP had
Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels I-III with 60%
bilateral involvement and 79% spastic. Five days of StepWatch data were averaged
and classified into low, moderate and high stride rates. Group differences were
examined by t-test and analysis of variance. RESULTS: Children with CP walk
significantly less each day than TDY (F = 245, p </= 0.001) and differ by GMFCS
(F = 1.51, p < 0.001). TDY walk a similar number of strides in low and moderate
stride rates each day while youth with CP do not. TDY attained high stride rates
(>60 strides/min) for 8 min/d with levels I-III at 4.0, 3.2 and 0.53 min/d,
respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The relative relationship of walking intensity levels
within total daily stride activity differs for youth with CP as compared to TDY.
The influence of functional walking ability on walking stride activity levels and
intensity does not appear to differ significantly across age groups. IMPLICATIONS
FOR REHABILITATION: Limitation in the ability to attain moderate stride-rate
intensity, regardless of total number of strides taken each day for ambulatory
youth with CP, is a potential area of focus for intervention. Understanding of
stride activity levels and intensity in youth with CP may be employed to focus
rehabilitation strategies to enhance habitual walking activity. Community-based
stride rate data has potential as an effectiveness outcome for rehabilitation
strategies focused on walking (i.e. orthopedic surgery, orthoses and injections
therapies).

Langue : ANGLAIS