Correlation between physical examination and three-dimensional gait analysis in the assessment of rotational abnormalities in children with cerebral palsy / Correlação entre exame físico e análise tridimensional da marcha na determinação dos desvios rotacionais em crianças com paralisia cerebral

Abstract Objective To evaluate the correlation between physical examination data concerning hip rotation and tibial torsion with transverse plane kinematics in children with cerebral palsy; and to determine which time points and events of the gait cycle present higher correlation with physical examination findings. Methods A total of 195 children with cerebral palsy seen at two gait laboratories from 2008 and 2016 were included in this study. Physical examination measurements included internal hip rotation, external hip rotation, mid-point hip rotation and the transmalleolar axis angle. Six kinematic parameters were selected for each segment to assess hip rotation and shank-based foot rotation. Correlations between physical examination and kinematic measures were analyzed by Spearman correlation coefficients, and a significance level of 5% was considered. Results Comparing physical examination measurements of hip rotation and hip kinematics, we found moderate to strong correlations for all variables (p<0.001). The highest coefficients were seen between the mid-point hip rotation on physical examination and hip rotation kinematics (rho range: 0.48-0.61). Moderate correlations were also found between the transmalleolar axis angle measurement on physical examination and foot rotation kinematics (rho range 0.44-0.56; p<0.001). Conclusion These findings may have clinical implications in the assessment and management of transverse plane gait deviations in children with cerebral palsy.

Resumo Objetivo Avaliar a correlação entre dados do exame físico relativos à rotação do quadril e torção tibial com a cinemática do plano transverso em crianças com paralisia cerebral; e determinar quais pontos no tempo e eventos do ciclo de marcha apresentam maior correlação com achados do exame físico. Métodos Um total de 195 crianças com paralisia cerebral vistas em dois laboratórios de marcha, de 2008 a 2016, foi incluído neste estudo. As medidas do exame físico incluíram rotação interna do quadril, rotação externa do quadril, ponto médio da rotação do quadril e ângulo do eixo transmaleolar. Foram selecionados seis parâmetros cinemáticos para cada segmento, para avaliar a rotação do quadril e a do pé em relação à perna durante a marcha. As correlações entre exame físico e medidas cinemáticas foram analisadas por coeficientes de correlação de Spearman, e considerou-se um nível de significância de 5%. Resultados Comparando as medidas da rotação do quadril e da cinemática do quadril, encontramos correlações moderadas a fortes para todas as variáveis (p<0,001). Os coeficientes mais altos foram observados entre o ponto médio da rotação do quadril no exame físico e a rotação do quadril na cinemática (rho range: 0,48-0,61). Correlações moderadas também foram encontradas entre a medição do ângulo do eixo transmaleolar no exame físico e a rotação do pé em relação à perna na cinemática (faixa rho: 0,44-0,56; p<0,001). Conclusão Estes achados podem ter implicações clínicas na avaliação e no tratamento de desvios da marcha do plano transverso em crianças com paralisia cerebral.

DOES RECTUS FEMORIS TRANSFER INCREASE KNEE FLEXION DURING STANCE PHASE IN CEREBRAL PALSY?

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate whether distal rectus femoris transfer (DRFT) is related to postoperative increase of knee flexion during the stance phase in cerebral palsy (CP). Methods: The inclusion criteria were Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels I-III, kinematic criteria for stiff-knee gait at baseline, and individuals who underwent orthopaedic surgery and had gait analyses performed before and after intervention. The patients included were divided into the following two groups: NO-DRFT (133 patients), which included patients who underwent orthopaedic surgery without DRFT, and DRFT (83 patients), which included patients who underwent orthopaedic surgery that included DRFT. The primary outcome was to evaluate in each group if minimum knee flexion in stance phase (FMJFA) changed after treatment. Results: The mean FMJFA increased from 13.19° to 16.74° (p=0.003) and from 10.60° to 14.80° (p=0.001) in Groups NO-DRFT and DRFT, respectively. The post-operative FMJFA was similar between groups NO-DRFT and DRFT (p=0.534). The increase of FMJFA during the second exam (from 13.01° to 22.51°) was higher among the GMFCS III patients in the DRFT group (p<0.001). Conclusion: In this study, DRFT did not generate additional increase of knee flexion during stance phase when compared to the control group. Level of Evidence III, Retrospective Comparative Study.

Padrões de marcha mais frequentes na paralisia cerebral tipo diparesia espástica / Most frequent gait patterns in diplegic spastic cerebral palsy

Identificar padrões de marcha em um grande grupo de crian-ças com paralisia cerebral (PC) tipo diplegia espástica e caracterizarcada grupo de acordo com a idade, nível do Gross Motor FunctionClassification System (GMFCS) e Gait Deviation Index (GDI) e cirurgiasprévias. Métodos: Foram divididos em sete grupos 1805 pacientescom base nos padrões de marcha observados: joelho saltitante, agachamento,recurvatum, joelho rígido, assimétrico, misto, e não classificável.Resultados: O grupo assimétrico foi o mais prevalente (48,8%).Os grupos joelho saltitante (9,6 anos) e recurvatum (9,4 anos) exibiramidade média menor que os demais grupos. O GDI mais baixo (43,58)foi observado no grupo agachamento. Notaram-se mais pacientesclassificados como nível III do GMFCS nos grupos agachamento emisto. Cirurgias prévias no tríceps sural foram mais frequentes nosgrupos joelho rígido e misto. O grupo joelho saltitante recebeu menornúmero de procedimentos cirúrgicos prévios nos isquiotibais, enquantoque o grupo com joelho rígido recebeu maior número, quandocomparado aos demais. Conclusões: Os casos assimétricos forammais frequentes, mesmo em grupo de pacientes diplégicos. Pacientescom padrão em agachamento foram caracterizados pelo GDI maisbaixo e prevalência do nível III no GMFCS, enquanto que o grupojoelho rígido exibiu uma porcentagem maior de alongamento préviodos isquiotibiais em comparação com os demais grupos. Nível deEvidência III, Estudo Retrospectivo Comparativo...

To identify gait patterns in a large group of childrenwith diplegic cerebral palsy and to characterize each groupaccording to age, Gross Motor Function Classification System(GMFCS) level, Gait Deviation Index (GDI) and previous surgicalprocedures. Methods: One thousand eight hundred and fivepatients were divided in seven groups regarding observed gaitpatterns: jump knee, crouch knee, recurvatum knee, stiff knee,asymmetric, mixed and non-classified. Results: The asymmetricgroup was the most prevalent (48.8%). The jump knee (9.6 yearsold) and recurvatum (9.4 years) groups had mean age lowerthan the other groups. The lowest GDI (43.58) was found in thecrouch group. There were more children classified within GMFCSlevel III in the crouch and mixed groups. Previous surgical procedureson the triceps surae were more frequent in stiff kneeand mixed groups. The jump knee group received less and thestiff-knee group more surgical procedures at hamstrings thanothers. Conclusions: The asymmetrical cases were the most frequentwithin a group of diplegic patients. Individuals with crouchgait pattern were characterized by the lowest GDI and the highestprevalence of GMFCS III, while patients with stiff knee exhibited ahigher percentage of previous hamstring lengthening in comparisonto the other groups. Level of Evidence III, RetrospectiveComparative Study...