RESUMO

BACKGROUND: A slip occurs when the required friction (RCOF) to prevent slipping at the foot/floor interfaces exceeds the available friction. The RCOF is dependent upon the biomechanics features of individuals and their gait. On the other hand, the available friction depends on environmental features. Once individuals with crouch gait have their biomechanics of gait completely altered, how do they interact with a supporting surface? The aim was to quantify the RCOF in children with bilateral spastic cerebral palsy (BSCP) and crouch gait. METHODS: 11 children with crouch gait and 11 healthy age-matched children were instructed to walk barefoot at self-selected speed over a force platform. The RCOF curve was obtained as the ratio between the tangential forces (FT), and the vertical ground reaction force (FZ). Three points were extracted by the RCOF, FT and FZ curves at the loading response, midstance and push-off phases. FINDINGS: Children with BSCP presented higher values of RCOF in all support phase and lower gait velocity relative to the healthy controls. For BSCP group no correlation between FT and FZ were found, indicating that this group is not able to negotiate the forces during the support phase. INTERPRETATION: Children with BSCP and crouch gait are not able to negotiate the forces applied on the ground in support phase, so to avoid the fall, their strategy is to reduce the gait velocity.

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RESUMO

La marcha agazapada es una de las alteraciones más frecuentes en los pacientes con parálisis cerebral infantil, y aunque es fácilmente reconocible, tampoco ha sido claramente definida. En ella, la rodilla carece de una extensión dinámica, durante la fase de apoyo, el tobillo lo podemos encontrar en flexión plantar, dorsal o neutro, y las caderas generalmente están flexionadas y frecuentemente en rotación interna y en aducción. El presente es un estudio prospectivo, realizado en el Hospital Ortopédico Infantil, empleando los datos obtenidos del departamento de historias médicas y del laboratorio de análisis de la marcha, en el cual hemos utilizado la nueva clasificación cinemática de Michael Schwartz, Director de Bioingeniería del Laboratorio de Análisis de la Marcha del Gillette Children´s Hospital, Saint Paul, Minnesota, para sujetos que presentaban excesiva flexión de rodilla al contacto inicial. Con lo cual se obtiene 5 subtipos cinemáticas de marcha agazapada, de acuerdo a los datos obtenidos en el plano sagital, y que a la vez nos permiten saber a qué nivel se encuentran las alteraciones principales de los pacientes, proporcionándonos de esta manera una guía que nos ayude en la decisión del tratamiento a emplear y al mismo tiempo nos permite realizar una valoración post-quirúrgica

Crouch gait is one of the most frequent alterations in patients with cerebral palsy, and although it is easily recognizable, has not been clearly defined. In it, the knee lacks a dynamic extension during the stance phase, the ankle can be found in plantar flexion, dorsal or neutral, and hips are usually bent and often in internal rotation and adduction. This is a prospective study conducted at the Children's Orthopedic Hospital, using data obtained from the department of medical and gait laboratory, which we have used the new classification Schwartz Michaels kinematics, Director of Bioengineering, Laboratory of Analysis of the March of Gillette Children's Hospital, Saint Paul, Minnesota, for subjects with excessive knee flexion initial contact. Thus obtained five subtypes kinematic crouched running, according to data obtained in the sagittal plane and at the same time let us know at what level are the main changes of the patients, thereby providing a guide help us in deciding the treatment to be applied at the same time allows us to perform a post-surgical evaluation

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