Affiliations: [a]
Department of Orthotic and Prosthetic, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| [b]
Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Rehabilitation, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran
| [c]
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
| [d]
Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Correspondence:
[*]
Corresponding author: Mahmood Bahramizadeh, Department of Orthotic and Prosthetic, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Tel.: +98 21 22180018; E-mail: [email protected].
Abstract: PURPOSE:This study examined the effects of a dynamic neoprene orthosis on kinematic variables of gait in children with spastic bilateral cerebral palsy (CP). METHODS:Five children (whose median age was 9.6 years and who ranged in age from six to 12) with spastic bilateral CP and flexed knee at levels I-III of the Gross Motor Function Classification System were examined using kinematic gait analysis in three different conditions: 1) with dynamic neoprene orthosis; 2) without dynamic neoprene orthosis (immediate effect); and 3) without orthosis after six weeks of intervention. RESULTS:The comparison between condition one (with dynamic neoprene orthosis) and condition two (without dynamic neoprene orthosis) demonstrated the existence of improvements in minimum hip and knee flexion variables. Moreover, the results indicated that the improvements remained constant in several key gait variables after six weeks. CONCLUSION:The results varied from subject to subject, and there were signs of improvement in some of the subjects. Therefore, it was not possible to draw conclusions at a group level. Nonetheless, a number of individuals may benefit from this type of orthosis.
