Dissipation of disturbances seen in the knee joint kinematics of children with cerebral palsy

2016

Max Kurz
[email protected]
402-559-9599

Purpose: Children with cerebral palsy (CP) often use a crouch gait pattern that has disturbances in the knee joint kinematics. Al- though the length and rate of lengthening of the hamstring musculature have been speculated to be the reason that these disturbances are not adequately dissipated, this relationship has not been adequately explored. The purpose of this exploratory investigation was to use simulations of a musculoskeletal model and Floquet analysis to evaluate how the performance of hamstrings musculature during gait may be related to the knee joint instabilities seen in children with CP. Methods: Children with CP and typically developing (TD) children walked on a treadmill as a motion capture system assessed the knee joint kinematics. Floquet analysis was used to quantify the rate that disturbances present at the knee joint were dissipated, and simulations of a musculoskeletal model were used to estimate the in vivo length and velocity of the hamstrings. Pearson

walking, gait, crouch, variability

Peer-reviewed publications in scholarly journals Published/In Press

Professionals, Students

http://www.actabio.pwr.wroc.pl/Vol17No4/8.pdf

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