title: Impact of a short walking exercise on gait kinematics in children with cerebral palsy who walk in a crouch gait.
abstract: Crouch gait results in an increase of the joint stress due to an excessive knee flexion. Daily walking exercises, even when performed at a self-selected speed, may result in a decrease of the extensor muscle strength which could lead to a more severe crouch gait pattern. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of a short walking exercise on gait kinematics in children with cerebral palsy who walk with a crouch gait.
  
  
  
  Seven children with cerebral palsy who walk with a crouch gait were asked to walk for 6min at a self-selected speed. The spatio-temporal and kinematic measures, as well as the center of mass position were compared before and after the exercise.
  
  
  
  There was no significant difference between walking speed before and after the walking exercise. Knee flexion and the maximal ankle dorsiflexion increased after the walking exercise. The vertical position of the center of mass decreased. No significant difference was found at the hip.
  
  
  
  Children with cerebral palsy who walk with a crouch gait were more crouched after a 6-min walking exercise performed at their self-selected speed. These gait modifications could be due to fatigue of the extensor muscle groups. This study highlighted that a short walking exercise, corresponding to daily mobility, results in gait pattern modifications. Since therapies in children with cerebral palsy aim to improve motor function in everyday life situations, it could be relevant to evaluate gait adaptation after a few minutes of walking exercise.
authors.affiliation: Université du Québec à Montréal (UQÀM), C.P. 8888, succursale Centre-Ville, Montreal (Quebec) Canada, H3C 3P8; CHU Sainte-Justine (CRME), 5200 rue Bélanger Est, Montreal (Quebec) Canada H1T 1C9. Electronic address: parent.audrey.2@courrier.uqam.ca.
authors.forename: Audrey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Parent
authors.affiliation: CHU Sainte-Justine (CRME), 5200 rue Bélanger Est, Montreal (Quebec) Canada H1T 1C9; École Polytechnique de Montréal, C.P. 6079, succ. Centre-ville, Montreal (Quebec) Canada H3C 3A7. Electronic address: maxime.raison@polymtl.ca.
authors.forename: Maxime
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raison
authors.affiliation: Université du Québec à Montréal (UQÀM), C.P. 8888, succursale Centre-Ville, Montreal (Quebec) Canada, H3C 3P8; CHU Sainte-Justine (CRME), 5200 rue Bélanger Est, Montreal (Quebec) Canada H1T 1C9. Electronic address: pouliot_laforte.annie@courrier.uqam.ca.
authors.forename: Annie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pouliot-Laforte
authors.affiliation: CHU Sainte-Justine (CRME), 5200 rue Bélanger Est, Montreal (Quebec) Canada H1T 1C9. Electronic address: pierremaroismd@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marois
authors.affiliation: Université Laval, 1050, avenue de la Médecine, Quebec (Quebec) Canada G1V 0A6; Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation and Social Integration, 525, boul. Wilfrid-Hamel, bureau H-1312, Quebec (Quebec) Canada G1M 2S8. Electronic address: desiree.maltais@rea.ulaval.ca.
authors.forename: Désirée B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Maltais
authors.affiliation: Université du Québec à Montréal (UQÀM), C.P. 8888, succursale Centre-Ville, Montreal (Quebec) Canada, H3C 3P8; CHU Sainte-Justine (CRME), 5200 rue Bélanger Est, Montreal (Quebec) Canada H1T 1C9. Electronic address: ballaz.laurent@uqam.ca.
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ballaz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D020233:Gait Disorders, Neurologic / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018763:Muscle Fatigue / Q000502:physiology; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*; D000072797:Walking Speed / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Cerebral palsy; crouch gait; flexed-knee; kinematics; walking exercise