Spatiotemporal gait variables of children with cerebral palsy undergoing electrostimulation in the anterior tibial muscle

Objective: This study had the objective of describing spatiotemporal gait variables of four to five-year-old children with spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy, before and after sessions of electrostimulation of the anterior tibial muscle on the paralyzed side. Method: Five children underwent 12 sessions of electrostimulation (three times a week). To collect biomechanical data, the gait was analyzed using the Peak Motus system, version 7.0, with two S-VHS video cameras with an acquisition rate of 60 Hz. Three-dimensional reconstruction of the movements was performed using the direct linear transformation (DLT) method. Results: Following the intervention, all the children presented smaller differences in step length between the paralyzed and non-paralyzed sides (p= 0.009). Four children presented increased cycle amplitude. Two children presented increased cadence, speed and single support time on the paralyzed side. Thus, it was found that there was an improvement in gait symmetry in relation to the step lengths seen before and after the intervention, although the increase in the spatiotemporal variables did not occur in the same way for all the children. Conclusion: Despite the difficulties in defining larger and more homogeneous samples for studies of this type, the present data suggest the need for identification of and greater control over the variables that affect gait and its treatment among children with cerebral palsy.