Lc. Vogel et Jp. Lubicky, AMBULATION WITH PARAPODIA AND RECIPROCATING GAIT ORTHOSES IN PEDIATRIC SPINAL-CORD INJURY, Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 37(11), 1995, pp. 957-964
The use of parapodia and reciprocating gait orthoses (RGOs) was review
ed in 41 children and adolescents with spinal cord injuries. Compared
with users of RGOs, users of parapodia were younger when injured and w
hen the orthotic was first used, were more likely to be household ambu
lators and to have higher neurological levels, and were unlikely to co
ntinue their use of the parapodium after early school age, Hip contrac
tures that required surgical releases or contributed to discontinuatio
n of orthotic usage were present in six of 26 parapodium users and 12
of 22 RGO users. RGOs and parapodia have a limited but important role
in management of pediatric spinal cord injury, and should be used in a
developmentally based program responsive to the changing needs of chi
ldren and adolescents.