Gait parameters in children with motor disabilities using an electronic walkway system: assessment of reliability.
OBJECTIVE
The study was designed to determine the reliability of temporal-spatial gait parameters in children with motor disabilities in two conditions: bare foot and with shoes and orthoses.


METHODS
: Nineteen children (mean age of 6.8 years) with Gross Motor Functional Classification System levels I-III participated.


METHODS
Participants walked over the GAITRite(R) Walkway System and gait velocity (cm/sec), cadence (steps/min), stance time (% gait cycle), stride length (cm), base width (cm), and cycle time (sec) were evaluated.


RESULTS
The single and three-trial average relative reliability estimates of the intraclass correlation coefficients met the minimum reliability coefficient criteria of 0.80.


CONCLUSIONS
This was an initial attempt to evaluate the reliability of an instrumented walkway system. Further study should include more participants and address age, functional limitations, diagnoses, and use of assistive devices.
Wondra
Valerie C
VC
Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health Professions, Wichita State University, Kansas 67260-0152, USA.
Pitetti
Kenneth H
KH
Beets
Michael W
MW
D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted; D019988:Children with Disabilities / Q000145:classification; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009989:Orthotic Devices; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D016138:Walking / Q000145:classification*