Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 26, 2025
Author Spotlight: Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Combined with Movement Observation in Cerebral Palsy
Published on: August 9, 2024
Relationship between spatiotemporal parameters and clinical outcomes in children with bilateral spastic cerebral
Cristina Gómez-Pérez1, Joan Vidal Samsó2, Albert Puig Diví3
1Research Group on Methodology, Methods, Models and Outcomes of Health and Social Sciences (M(3)O), Faculty of Health Sciences and Welfare, Centre for Health and Social Care Research (CESS), University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVIC-UCC), Vic, Spain.
Insights
Spatiotemporal parameters in children with bilateral spastic cerebral palsy correlate with clinical outcomes. These gait measures offer valuable insights into both gait patterns and walking ability.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Clinical Biomechanics
- Pediatric Rehabilitation
Background:
- Instrumented gait analysis is crucial for understanding gait disorders in children.
- Bilateral spastic cerebral palsy presents challenges in gait, impacting function and participation.
- Establishing links between gait parameters and clinical outcomes is essential for effective intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate relationships between spatiotemporal gait parameters and clinical outcomes in children with bilateral spastic cerebral palsy.
- To determine if spatiotemporal parameters provide clinical information on gait pattern and walking.
- To assess the utility of gait analysis in pediatric cerebral palsy.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 19 children with bilateral spastic cerebral palsy undergoing instrumented gait analysis and clinical assessment.
- Calculation of seven spatiotemporal parameters (e.g., gait speed, stride length).
- Correlation analysis between spatiotemporal parameters and clinical outcomes (body functions, structures, activities, participation).
Main Results:
- Gait speed, stride length, and cadence correlated with spasticity and deformities.
- Most spatiotemporal parameters correlated with gross motor function and walking capacity.
- Spatiotemporal parameters reflect both gait pattern and functional walking ability.
Conclusions:
- Spatiotemporal parameters derived from instrumented gait analysis offer significant clinical information.
- These parameters are valuable for assessing gait patterns and walking capacity in children with cerebral palsy.
- Gait analysis can inform rehabilitation strategies for improving function in this population.
Background:
Understanding the links between gait disorders, impairments, and activity limitations is essential for correctly interpreting the instrumented gait analysis. We aimed to evaluate the relationships between spatiotemporal parameters and clinical outcomes in children with bilateral spastic cerebral palsy, and find out whether spatiotemporal parameters provide clinical information regarding gait pattern and walking.
Methods:
Data from 19 children with bilateral spastic cerebral palsy (nine males, ten females, 9.6 ± 2.8 years old) were collected retrospectively. All children underwent an instrumented gait analysis and a standardized clinical assessment. Seven spatiotemporal parameters were calculated: non-dimensional cadence, stride length, step width, gait speed, first double support, single support, and time of toe off. Clinical outcomes included measures of two different components of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health - Children and Youth version: body functions and structures (spasticity, contractures and range of motion, and deformities), and activities and participation (gross motor function, and walking capacity). Pearson correlation, ANOVA, Student's t, Mann-Whitney U, and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to analyze relationships. Spatiotemporal parameters related to clinical outcomes of body functions and structures were interpreted as outcome measures of gait pattern, while those related to clinical outcomes of activities and participation were interpreted as outcome measures of walking.
Results:
Non-dimensional cadence, stride length, and gait speed showed relationships (p < 0.05) with hip flexors spasticity and hindfoot deformity, ankle plantar flexors spasticity, and hindfoot deformity, respectively. All spatiotemporal parameters except non-dimensional cadence showed correlation (p < 0.05) with gross motor function and walking capacity.
Conclusions:
Spatiotemporal parameters provide clinical information regarding both gait pattern and walking.
More Related Videos
08:26Event-related Potentials During Target-response Tasks to Study Cognitive Processes of Upper Limb Use in Children with Unilateral Cerebral Palsy
Published on: January 11, 2016
08:56Clinical Assessment of Spatiotemporal Gait Parameters in Patients and Older Adults
Published on: November 7, 2014