Effects of backward-downhill treadmill training versus manual static plantarflexor stretching on muscle-joint pathology and function in children with spastic Cerebral Palsy

Children with spastic Cerebral Palsy (SCP) are constrained by weakness and contractures. The ankle is usually severely affected, showing equinus with progressive loss in passive dorsiflexion [1] and pathologically increased stiffness [2]. This may be neurally mediated [3], but also altered muscle architecture appears influential. For the gastrocnemius, reduced muscle belly [4] and fascicle length [5,6], increased in-vivo sarcomere length [7], a lack of sarcomeres in series [7] or increased intramuscular connective tissue [8] may mechanically reduce its extensibility.

Source: Gait and Posture - July 22, 2018 Category: Orthopaedics Authors: Matthias H ösl, Harald Böhm, Justine Eck, Leonhard Döderlein, Adamantios Arampatzis Tags: Full length article Source Type: research