Gait patterns in spastic hemiplegia in children and young adults

TLDR

Four homogeneous gait patterns were defined in 46 spastic hemiplegia patients using sagittal‑plane kinematic and EMG data. The study identified four groups: Group I exhibited swing‑phase drop foot; Group II had tight heel‑cord in stance plus drop foot swing; Group III showed proximal knee restriction and ankle equinus; Group IV added hip restriction.

Abstract

Four homogeneous patterns of gait were defined in forty-six patients who had spastic hemiplegia secondary to cerebral palsy or other neurological disorders by analyzing kinematic data in the sagittal plane and electromyographic data. In Group I (twenty patients) the primary abnormality was a drop foot in the swing phase. The thirteen patients in Group II had a tight heel cord in the stance phase as well as a drop foot in the swing phase. The five patients in Group III also had more proximal involvement (that is, restricted motion of the knee) as well as an equinus deformity of the ankle. In Group IV, the eight patients had, in addition, restricted motion of the hip.