Ankle spasticity and strength in children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy

Ankle spasticity and strength in 27 children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy (CP) (mean age 9 years, range 3 to 18 years) and a group of 12 child ren without CP (comparison group) (mean age 9 years, range 5 to 18 years) w ere observed. To measure spasticity, a KinCom dynamometer dorsiflexed the p assive ankle at five different speeds and recorded the resistive plantarfle xion torques. Work values for the torque-angle data were calculated at each speed. Using this data, linear regression was used to measure spasticity. To measure strength, the dynamometer rotated the ankle from maximum dorsifl exion to maximum plantarflexion at a speed of 10 degrees/s while the child performed a maximum plantarflexion concentric contraction. The movement was reversed to record maximum dorsiflexion. Maximum torques and work by the p lantarflexors and dorsiflexors were calculated. The group with CP had signi ficantly more spasticity in the plantarflexors and significantly less stren gth in the plantarflexors and dorsiflexors than the group without CP. Resul ts provide objective information quantifying angle spasticity and strength in children with CP.