Balancing Characteristics of Children with Spastic Cerebral Palsy during Gait Measurement using Plantar Pressure Gait Analysis System

OBJECTIVE: Usually, the balance tests of sitting and standing position are performed by balancing instruments clinically, but because of the restriction of foot pedal, this kind of instruments cannot measure balancing ability in continuous dynamic gait cycles in gait of cerebral palsy children. Using plantar pressure gait analysis system, this study sought to study balance characteristics in gait of children with spastic cerebral palsy. METHODS: A total of 78 healthy children served as normal control group, and 25 children with spastic cerebral palsy as cerebral palsy group at the Department of Rehabilitation, Shenzhen Children's Hospital from May 2004 to May 2007. A plantar pressure gait analysis system was used to perform plantar pressure gait analysis tests of children in both groups. All plantar pressure data of both groups was recorded. Main outcome measures contained quantized data including cadence, cycle time of gait, absolute symmetry index (ASI) of each gait phase, and visualized pressure diagram including dynamic plantar pressure diagram and center of Gravity's transfer track diagram. RESULTS: Comparing with normal control group, children of cerebral palsy group had fewer cadences and longer gait cycle time in gait (P＜0.01). ASI of single-foot supporting phase, swing phase, double-foot supporting phase and gait cycle time of cerebral palsy group were higher than normal control group (P＜0.05). Symmetry and repeatability of plantar pressure diagram of both feet were poorer than normal control group. Center of Gravity's transfer track diagram could not show as butterfly-shape graphics with good symmetry. CONCLUSION: ASI of each phase of gait cycle of spastic CP children increased significantly in gait. Plantar pressure gait analysis technology can be effectively applied to evaluate the balancing ability of children with spastic cerebral palsy in gait.