NATURE OF MOTOR DISORDER AND DYNAMIC PLANTAR PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION MEASUREMENT IN CHILDREN WITH CEREBRAL PALSY

Objectives: To assess the pressure peaks in children with cerebral palsy (CP) to illustrate the dynamic alteration during stance phase linked nature of the motor disorder.

Methods: Fivtheen children with CP (10 hemiplegics and 5 diplegics) and 10 healthy control (HC) children aged respectively, 13±1.9 and 13±0.6 years performed a walking test at self selected speed on a straith line of 10 meters twice on a separated days for the children with CP and only once for the HC children. The recordings of dynamic parameters were realized to an in-shoe plantar pressure analysis system (Parotec, Germany). The peaks pressure were determined from the recording of pessure under footprint locations. We use a non parametric test Kruskal-Wallis to compare pressure peaks between hemiplegic versus diplegic versus HC groups. A P value less than 0.05 was considered significant.

Results: There was a statiscal difference between the two disabled groups. Peak pressures under the midfoot were sidnificantly higher compared to control group. While the plantar pressure distribution profile was specific for each group under the anatomical structures. The significant alterations were observed under the forefoot and hallux.

Conclusion: This study shows that dynamic plantar pressure distribution measurement can linked out alterations in neuromuscular disorders, and therby permit to distinguish the nature of the motor disorder in clinical evaluation of children with CP. EA 3300'APS et Conduites Motrices, Adaptations et Réadaptation'