Quantification of upper body strategy during gait in children with spastic diplegia using a summary parameter

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Pediatric Gait Analysis
• Neurology

Background:

• Cerebral Palsy (CP) often involves motor impairments affecting gait.
• Quantifying upper body movement during gait is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of CP-related mobility challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and validate the Upper Body Profile Score (UBPS) for quantifying upper body position during gait.
• To compare upper body kinematics in children with CP versus healthy children.
• To explore the relationship between upper body movements and lower limb gait patterns in CP.

Main Methods:

• A novel summary measure, the Upper Body Profile Score (UBPS), was developed.
• UBPS was applied to analyze gait in 38 children with CP and 15 healthy controls (CG).
• Statistical analysis correlated UBPS with the Gait Profile Score (GPS).

Main Results:

• Children with CP demonstrated significantly higher UBPS values compared to the CG.
• The sagittal and transversal planes showed the greatest influence on UBPS in the CP group.
• A significant correlation was found between UBPS and GPS, indicating a link between upper and lower body gait parameters.

Conclusions:

• The UBPS is a valuable tool for quantifying upper body deviations in children with CP during gait.
• Altered upper body kinematics in CP are associated with sagittal and transversal plane movements.
• The correlation between UBPS and GPS suggests that upper body alterations may be indicative of or related to underlying lower limb impairments in CP.