Balance abilities and gait characteristics in post-traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy and typically developed children.
OBJECTIVE
To quantify the differences in gait variability and balance performance between children with cerebral palsy (CP), children with post-traumatic brain injury (TBI) and typically developed (TD) children and to determine the association between gait variability and functional balance in these groups.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study.


METHODS
Physical therapy department of a paediatric and adolescent rehabilitation hospital.


METHODS
A convenience sample of 15 children post-TBI, 15 children with CP and 30 TD age- and sex-matched controls.


METHODS
Not applicable.


METHODS
Step length and step time variability measured by an electronic walkway; timed up and go (TUG) test and functional reach test (FRT) were used as functional balance tests.


RESULTS
The functional balance abilities of children post-TBI and children with CP were significantly limited compared to TD children. Children post-TBI had significantly greater variability in step length in comparison to healthy controls. A significant linear inverse correlation between balance performance and step length variability was found only among children with TBI.


CONCLUSIONS
Brain damage is associated with restricted balance performance and increased step variability. It might be that in a child born with brain damage, as opposed to acquired damage, the developmental process has a restraining effect on gait variability.
Katz-Leurer
Michal
M
Alyn Hospital, Pediatric and Adolescent Rehabilitation Center, Jerusalem, Israel. michalkz@post.tau.ac.il
Rotem
Hemda
H
Keren
Ofer
O
Meyer
Shirley
S