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Gait energy efficiency in children with cerebral palsy
Sarah Rosen1, Carole A Tucker, Samuel C K Lee
1Biomedical Engineering Program, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA. sr952@drexel.edu
Insights
Children with cerebral palsy (CP) have higher energy costs for walking. This study found that gait parameters like pelvic tilt and walking speed can accurately estimate the energy expenditure during ambulation in these children.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics
- Pediatrics
- Rehabilitation Medicine
Background:
- Children with cerebral palsy (CP) exhibit significantly elevated energy expenditure during ambulation compared to typically developing peers.
- Quantifying the energy cost of ambulation is crucial for assessing functional mobility and intervention effectiveness in CP.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify easily measurable gait parameters that correlate with the metabolic energy cost of walking in children with CP.
- To explore alternatives to traditional, resource-intensive pulmonary tests for assessing gait efficiency.
Main Methods:
- Gait data were collected from 18 children with CP across 30 sessions.
- Statistical analysis was performed to correlate oxygen consumption (a measure of energy cost) with spatiotemporal and kinematic gait variables.
Main Results:
- Oxygen cost during ambulation was found to be highly correlated with specific kinematic variables.
- Key predictors identified include pelvic tilt, walking speed, landing angle, and the biomechanical efficiency quotient (BEQ).
Conclusions:
- Gait kinematic and spatiotemporal parameters can serve as reliable indicators of energy expenditure in children with CP.
- These findings support the development of computational models to estimate gait energy efficiency, potentially simplifying assessment and guiding treatment.
Abstract:
Children with cerebral palsy (CP) expend up to three times the energy required for ambulation as compared to typically developed children of the same age. Measuring the metabolic energy required to execute a task is an intuitively appealing way to quantify task efficiency. Task energy demand is often quantified through pulmonary tests that measure oxygen consumption. Although providing an accepted measure of energy demand, these tests are technically demanding and staff intensive. For this reason, we sought a measure of gait efficiency based on spatiotemporal and kinematic parameters that would be reflective of the energy cost during ambulation in children with cerebral palsy. Gait data from 18 subjects with CP over 30 separate data collection sessions was used. Statistical analysis showed oxygen cost highly correlates to several kinematic variables, most notably, pelvic tilt, walking speed, landing angle and the biomechanical efficiency quotient (BEQ). The results of the work support the development of a computational model that would capture gait energy efficiency.
