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The effect of surface and internal electrodes on the gait of children with cerebral palsy, spastic diplegic type. J Orthop Res 1989;7(5):732-7

Date

01/01/1989

Pubmed ID

2760746

DOI

10.1002/jor.1100070515

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-0024728305 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   29 Citations

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine whether surface and internal fine-wire electromyography electrodes had an effect on gait. The subjects for the experiments were 38 children with the spastic diplegic type of cerebral palsy. The children were filmed using the high-speed cinematographic technique while they walked (a) with no electrodes (unencumbered), (b) with only surface electrodes, and (c) with internal electrodes. Single stance time, step length, cadence, and walking velocity were compared with analysis of variance and Bonferroni t tests. The results included a significant decrease in cadence (-6.3% of unencumbered walking; p less than 0.05) when comparing walking with surface electrodes with walking without any electrodes. The internal electrodes caused significant decreases from normal walking in the following parameters: step length for both the measured leg (-18.6%; p less than 0.005) and the nonmeasured leg (-18.0%; p less than 0.005), cadence (-7.9%; p less than 0.02), and walking velocity (-23.5%; p less than 0.005). Internal electrodes caused significant decreases as compared with surface electrodes in the step length for both the measured leg (15.7%; p less than 0.01) and the nonmeasured leg (15.6%; p less than 0.005) and walking velocity (19.7%; p less than 0.005). Single stance phase did not change significantly in any of the comparisons. It appears that the addition of the surface electrode apparatus does change the normal gait of a subject, causing a large decrease in cadence. The measurement of gait with internal electrodes causes further change in gait, resulting in large decreases in step length and walking velocity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Author List

Young CC, Rose SE, Biden EN, Wyatt MP, Sutherland DH

Author

Craig C. Young MD Professor in the Orthopaedic Surgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin




MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adolescent
Cerebral Palsy
Child
Electrodes
Electromyography
Female
Gait
Humans
Male