GAIT PATTERNS IN CHILDREN WITH HEMIPLEGIC SPASTIC CEREBRAL-PALSY

Twenty-six nonoperated spastic hemiplegic children underwent three-dim ensional kinetic gait analysis. We identified five patterns based on s agittal plane kinetics. Group I had a minimal gait disturbance, a drop foot pattern, and normal kinetics, Group II had a flexed knee but nor mal hip extension, Group III a flexed knee and hip, Group IV knee hype rextension and tibial arrest, and Group V knee hyperextension and pers istent ankle dorsiflexion. We concluded that Group I had weak anterior tibial muscles, and in stance Group II a functionally tight gastrocne mius, Group III a functionally tight gas trocnemius and hip flexors, a nd Group IV a functionally tight soleus, and in Group V the patients g enerated an abnormally large fore-aft shear force and the gastrocnemiu s and soleus were not tight. Kinetics help in the understanding of gai t aberrations in spastic hemiplegia.