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Technical devices in children with motor disabilities: a review
1Research Group in Physiotherapy and Health Promotion, Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", Murcia University , Espinardo-Murcia, Murcia , Spain.
Insights
This review assessed technical devices for children with motor disabilities, finding ankle and foot orthoses most common for cerebral palsy. More rigorous research is needed to confirm device effectiveness and patient satisfaction.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Assistive Technology
Background:
- Motor disabilities significantly impact children's development and quality of life.
- Technical devices offer potential solutions for enhancing mobility and function in pediatric populations.
- Evidence-based practice requires a thorough understanding of the effectiveness of these interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically evaluate the effectiveness of technical devices used in children aged 0-18 years with motor disabilities.
- To identify the most commonly studied devices and pediatric conditions in the existing literature.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive systematic literature search was conducted across multiple databases (CINAHL Plus, EMBASE, PEDro, Cochrane Library, ISI Web of Knowledge, SciFinder Web) from January 2000 to January 2012.
- Inclusion criteria focused on studies with at least five children, encompassing randomized clinical trials, clinical trials, and prospective cohort studies.
- Methodological quality was assessed using the PEDro scale.
Main Results:
- Out of 59 identified articles, 27 met the eligibility criteria for the review.
- Ankle and foot orthoses were the most frequently evaluated technical devices.
- Cerebral palsy was the most commonly studied pediatric condition among the included studies.
Conclusions:
- The methodological quality of research on technical devices for children with motor disabilities requires improvement.
- Future studies should employ more rigorous research designs to accurately assess the effectiveness and impact on movement quality.
- Incorporating patient and family satisfaction into future research is crucial for a holistic evaluation of assistive technologies.
Purpose:
To assess the effectiveness of technical devices used in children with motor disabilities.
Method:
A systematic search of CINAHL Plus, EMBASE, PEDro, Cochrane Library, Isi Web of Knowledge and Scifinder Web was carried out, covering the period between January 2000 and January 2012. The inclusion criteria were: (1) Studies involving a minimum of five children (randomized-clinical trials with control group and experimental group, clinical trials without control group and prospective cohort studies; (2) age range, 0 to 18 years. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed by the two authors through the application of the PEDro scale.
Results:
Of the 59 articles identified by the search strategy, 27 articles were considered eligible. The most frequently evaluated devices were ankle and foot orthoses and the most studied pathology was cerebral palsy. The mean score on the PEDro scale was 6.8.
Conclusions:
The methodological quality of studies needs to be improved and more rigorous research designs should be followed that will allow the effectiveness and quality of movement to be assessed. The satisfaction of the patient and family with the devices should be analyzed in future studies.
