Variability in mobility of children with cerebral palsy.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the variability in mobility of children with cerebral palsy (CP) within classification levels.


METHODS
The subjects were 183 children with CP, ages six to 12 years, at Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels II to IV. Parents reported their child's mobility methods in the home, school, and outdoors/community. Mobility methods were ranked using empirical data and reflect trunk and lower extremity motor control requirements. These ranks were used for Friedman analysis of variance and post-hoc analyses for each GMFCS level.


RESULTS
Children within the same GMFCS level exhibited varying degrees of independence in mobility methods, which differed across setting. Children usually performed higher-ranked mobility methods (requiring the most gross motor control) at home, lower-ranked mobility methods at school, and the lowest ranked mobility methods in the outdoors/community.


CONCLUSIONS
Contextual, environmental, and personal factors may explain these findings. Therapists are encouraged to examine contextual features in everyday settings when planning interventions to improve functional mobility.
Tieman
Beth
B
Department of Physical Therapy, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia 30302-4019, USA. btieman@gsu.edu
Palisano
Robert J
RJ
Gracely
Edward J
EJ
Rosenbaum
Peter L
PL
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000145:classification / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology; D009069:Movement Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012931:Social Environment; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires