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Leg muscle activation patterns during walking and leg lean mass are different in children with and without
Timothy T T Yam1, Shirley S M Fong1
1School of Public Health, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
Insights
Children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) have lower leg lean mass and reduced muscle activation during key gait phases. This highlights the need for targeted muscle strengthening in DCD rehabilitation programs.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric physical therapy
- Movement science
- Biomedical engineering
Background:
- Children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) often exhibit higher body fat and gait variability.
- Limited research exists on gait muscle activity and lean mass in children with DCD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare leg muscle activation patterns during the gait cycle.
- To assess differences in leg lean mass between children with and without DCD.
Main Methods:
- Surface electromyography, electrogoniometry, and foot switches measured muscle activation during treadmill walking.
- Whole-body dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) assessed leg lean mass.
- Study included 51 children with DCD and 52 typically developing controls, aged approximately 8 years.
Main Results:
- Children with DCD showed significantly lower leg lean mass and appendicular lean mass index compared to controls.
- Reduced peak muscle activation was observed in children with DCD during heel strike, early swing, and late swing gait phases.
- Specific muscles showing reduced activation included the gastrocnemius medialis and biceps femoris.
Conclusions:
- Despite similar total lower limb mass, children with DCD have lower lean mass.
- Children with DCD demonstrate diminished leg muscle activation during specific gait phases.
- Phasic lower limb muscle strengthening should be integrated into gait rehabilitation for children with DCD.
Background:
Previous studies have shown that children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) have a higher body fat and greater gait variability. Little research has investigated the gait muscle activity and lean mass measures in children with DCD.
Aims:
To compare the leg muscle activation patterns of the gait cycle and leg lean mass between children with and without DCD.
Methods:
Fifty-one children were in the DCD group (38 males and 13 females; 7.95 ± 1.04 years) and fifty-two in the control group (34 males and 18 females; 8.02 ± 1.00 years). Peak muscle activation patterns of treadmill walking in the right leg for the eight-gait phases were measured by means of surface electromyography, an electrogoniometer, and foot contact switches. Leg lean mass measures were evaluated using a whole-body dual energy X-ray absorptiometry scan.
Results:
Children with DCD had a lower leg lean mass and appendicular lean mass index compared to the control group. Furthermore, they exhibited a less-pronounced peak muscle activation during the heel strike (gastrocnemius medialis), early swing (biceps femoris) and late swing phases (gastrocnemius medialis) of gait.
Conclusions And Implications:
Although lower limb total mass was similar between groups, the DCD group displayed lower lean mass measures than controls. Furthermore, children with DCD illustrated a lower leg peak muscle activation during the heel strike, early swing and late swing phases of gait when walking on a treadmill. Our results emphasize the need to incorporate lower limb phasic muscle strengthening components into gait rehabilitation programs for children with DCD.
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