Comparison of body segmental kinematic characteristics between children with cerebral palsy performing sit-to-stand with and without a walker

Abstract

The study investigated how the subjects, 18 children with spastic diplegia aged 7-14 years, attained sit-to-stand (STS). The children were divided into two groups and three STS conditions: 1) those who could attain STS independently (I-STS), 2) those who could not attain STS independently (D-STS), and 3) subjects from the D-STS condition who could successfully attain STS with the walker (W-STS). The results showed that I-STS had more mean maximum horizontal location of the upper body and knee than the hip. All body segments of D-STS followed the same model as the I-STS condition, but they moved with less magnitude than I-STS. W-STS presented both pattern and magnitudes relatively similar to I-STS. Furthermore, I-STS showed the highest mean maximum horizontal and vertical velocities of body segments, when compared with the other STS conditions. W-STS performed the mean maximum horizontal and vertical linear velocities of all selected segments close to D-STS did. Implications for Rehabilitation The kinematic characteristics of sit-to-stand between children with cerebral palsy who successfully and unsuccessfully performed the task identify the essential kinematic components of the task. The difference and similarity in the manners that children with cerebral palsy successfully attained sit-to-stand independently and with a walker emphasize the key points of the intervention. The walker is proved to make the children with unsuccessful STS attain the essential kinematic components of the task. © 2013 Informa UK, Ltd.