title: Effect of seat surface inclination on postural control during reaching in preterm children with cerebral palsy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Because it is debatable whether seat surface inclination improves motor function in children with cerebral palsy (CP), the effect of seat surface tilting on postural control and quality of reaching was studied.
  
  
  METHODS
  The subjects were 58 children with CP aged 2 to 11 years (34 with unilateral spastic CP, 24 with bilateral spastic CP).
  
  
  METHODS
  During the task of reaching movements, surface electromyographic and kinematic data were recorded for posture and reaching with the dominant arm in 3 sitting conditions: horizontal seat surface, seat surface tilted forward 15 degrees, and seat surface tilted backward 15 degrees.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the children with unilateral spastic CP, forward tilting improved postural efficiency and quality of reaching. In the children with bilateral spastic CP, both forward and backward tilting of the seat surface was associated with more postural instability and did not affect the quality of reaching.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that, in terms of postural control and quality of reaching, children with unilateral spastic CP benefit from a forward-tilted position and children with bilateral spastic CP benefit from a horizontal sitting position.
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental Neurology, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713 GZ Groningen, the Netherlands. m.hadders-algra@med.umcg.nl
authors.forename: Mijna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hadders-Algra
authors.forename: Jolanda C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: van der Heide
authors.forename: Johanna M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Fock
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stremmelaar
authors.forename: Leo A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: van Eykern
authors.forename: Bert
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Otten
mesh_terms: D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000145:classification*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D011187:Posture; D012720:Severity of Illness Index