title: Tibialis anterior architecture, strength, and gait in individuals with cerebral palsy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The relationship of tibialis anterior (TA) muscle architecture, including muscle thickness (MT), cross-sectional area (CSA), pennation angle (PA), and fascicle length (FL), to strength and ankle function was examined in ambulatory individuals with CP and unilateral foot drop.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty individuals with CP participated in muscle ultrasound imaging, unilateral strength testing, and three-dimensional gait analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Muscle size (MT and CSA) was positively related to strength, fast gait velocity, and ankle kinematics during walking. Higher PA was related to a more dorsiflexed ankle position at initial contact and inversely with fast gait velocity. FL was related to strength, fast velocity, and step length at a self-selected speed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Muscle architecture partially explains the degree of impairment in strength and ankle function in CP. Treatments to increase TA size and strength may produce some gait improvement, but other factors that may contribute to ankle performance deficits must be considered.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Bland
authors.forename: Laura A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Prosser
authors.forename: Lindsey A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Bellini
authors.forename: Katharine E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Alter
authors.forename: Diane L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Damiano
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000842:Ankle / Q000294:innervation / Q000503:physiopathology; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D020233:Gait Disorders, Neurologic / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007537:Isometric Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult