GAIT PARAMETERS, ENERGY CONSERVATION AND PERCEIVED EXERTION IN CHILDREN WITH CEREBRAL PALSY WHEN WALKING WITH THE DEVELOPING POSTERIOR WALKER
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Date
2009-09-21
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Chiang Mai Medical Journal
Abstract
In Thailand, children with cerebral palsy have little access to the posterior walker. This study developed the posterior walker for children with cerebral palsy (CP) and studies its efficacy on gait parameters, energy expenditure and perceived exertion. The walker was designed and constructed according to stability, safety and foldability. Five children with CP participated. They had received a practice period of 1-month to familiarize themselves with both types of posterior walker (commercial posterior walker and new walker). Spatiotemporal gait was evaluated by GAITRite analysis, and energy expenditure determined according to the method described by Schlough et al. (2005) at pre and post practice once a week for 4 weeks. Rate of perceived exertion was also measured using the method described by Mattsson (1997). The new 4-wheeled posterior walker was constructed with dimensions of 57 cm x 67 cm x 48 cm and it weighed 6 kg. When ambulating with the new walker, the gait parameters, energy expenditure and perceived exertion of the children with cerebral palsy were comparable with using the commercial posterior walker in each period of measuring. There was also no time effect on those variables after training with either the commercial or new walker. These results indicated that the new walker could be used as an ambulation aid for children with cerebral palsy. However, the training program should be intensified to yield more benefit on those parameters.
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Chiang Mai Medical Journal; Vol.47 No.3 September 2008 (pages 97 - 148); 125 - 133