title: The static examination of children and young adults with cerebral palsy in the gait analysis laboratory: technique and observer agreement.
abstract: The assessment of ambulant children with spastic cerebral palsy frequently includes an evaluation in the motion analysis laboratory, consisting of a standardized physical examination and instrumented gait analysis. We therefore designed a repeatability study to evaluate observer agreement of five joint range of motion parameters, in 20 patients with cerebral palsy aged 5-25 years. These five parameters are some of the most important measurements made during the static examination in the gait laboratory. Intra-observer agreement was high (concordance correlation coefficient range, 0.67 -0.96), and using Bland and Altman analysis it was clinically acceptable with 95% limits of agreement of all parameters close to within +/- 10degrees. The level of inter-observer agreement was less satisfactory, particularly in hip flexion deformity.
authors.affiliation: Hugh Williamson Gait Laboratory, Orthopaedic Department, Royal Children's Hospital, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: W Nigel
authors.initials: WN
authors.lastname: Keenan
authors.forename: Jill
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rodda
authors.forename: Rory
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wolfe
authors.forename: Sam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Borton
authors.forename: H Kerr
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Graham
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D053587:Arthrometry, Articular / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007596:Joints / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015588:Observer Variation; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results