Effects in load of addition on the gait of children with hemiplegia: Comparative analysis among limbs
Motor activity; Hemiplegia; Gait; Lower extremity; Cerebral Palsy
The asymmetric pattern of hemiplegic gait in cerebral palsy (CP) has reflected the change in the child's motor control, which has led to the formation of differentiated compensatory actions between the paretic and non-paretic limbs. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of load on the paretic and non-paretic lower limbs during gait. It comes to an analytical cross-sectional observational study with the participation of twenty children with CP diagnosis, ranging in age from five to 12 years (8.70 ± 2.25). Participants were assessed for their level of functionality (GMFCS - Gross Motor Function Classification System), gross motor function (GMFM - Gross Motor Function Measure), degree of muscle spasticity (Modified Ashworth Scale) and in anthropometric data. It was held gait kinematics assessment in which the subjects were instructed to walk on a treadmill with comfortable speed, following the evaluation protocol divided into three evaluative stages: before adding the load (PRE phase) immediately after removal of the load (phase EMI) and 8 minutes after removal of the load (RET phase). The gait evaluation protocol consisted of a single training session. The angular variables of the hip and knee joints were evaluated, the maximum height foot and space-time variables, and these variables compared among limbs. Results showed no differences in the angular variables and temporal space between the paretic and non-paretic limbs, the phases of the protocol. It was concluded that while walking on a treadmill there was no discrepancy in the angular and space-temporal behavior of a member in relation to another, even after the load application. Thus, the lower limbs seem fit to act in a coordinated way, maintaining the functional performance independent of the applied destabilization.