Document Detail


Mechanical properties of the plantarflexor musculotendinous unit during passive dorsiflexion in children with cerebral palsy compared with typically developing children.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  20132139     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
AIM: To examine the passive length-tension relations in the myotendinous components of the plantarflexor muscles of children with and without cerebral palsy (CP) under conditions excluding reflex muscle contraction. METHOD: A cross-sectional, non-interventional study was conducted in a hospital outpatient clinic. Passive torque-angle characteristics of the ankle were quantified from full plantarflexion to full available dorsiflexion in 26 independently ambulant children with CP (11 females, 15 males; mean age: 6 y 11 mo, range 4 y 7 mo-9 y 7 mo) and 26 age-matched typically developing children (18 females, 8 males; mean age 7 y 2 mo, range 4 y 1 mo-10 y 4 mo). In the children with CP, the affected (hemiplegia; n=21) or more affected (diplegia; n=5) leg was tested; in typically developing children, the leg tested was randomly selected. Gross Motor Function Classification System levels were I (n=15) and II (n=11). Care was taken to eliminate active or reflex muscle contribution to the movement, confirmed by the absence of electromyographic activity. RESULTS: There were small but significant differences between the two groups for maximum ankle dorsiflexion (p=0.003), but large and significant differences in the torques required to produce the same displacement (p<0.001). Further, the hysteresis of the average loading cycle in the children with CP was over three times that of the typically developing children (p<0.001). INTERPRETATION: We believe that the plantarflexor muscles of children with CP are stiffer and intrinsically more resistant to stretch, even though they retain near normal excursion. This increased stiffness is a non-neurally-mediated feature demonstrated by these children. The extent to which it influences function and predisposes the children to development of soft tissue contracture is unknown.
Authors:
Adel A A Alhusaini; Jack Crosbie; Roberta B Shepherd; Catherine M Dean; Adam Scheinberg
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't     Date:  2010-01-28
Journal Detail:
Title:  Developmental medicine and child neurology     Volume:  52     ISSN:  1469-8749     ISO Abbreviation:  Dev Med Child Neurol     Publication Date:  2010 Jun 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2010-06-23     Completed Date:  2010-07-12     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  0006761     Medline TA:  Dev Med Child Neurol     Country:  England    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  e101-6     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Ankle / physiopathology*
Biomechanics
Cerebral Palsy / physiopathology*
Child
Child, Preschool
Cross-Sectional Studies
Disability Evaluation
Elasticity
Electromyography
Female
Humans
Male
Muscle, Skeletal / physiopathology*
Prospective Studies

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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