ABSTRACT
Standing and walking are the most common activities of people on a daily basis. In children with cerebral palsy [CP], lesion in central nervous system could cause impairment in these functions. One way to improve their standing and walking functions is the use of Ankle Foot Orthoses [AFOs]. This study was performed to compare the effects of hinged and solid AFOs on standing and walking functions in 4-8 year old children with CP spastic. This quasi-experimental and interventional study was performed on 30 children [4-8 years old] with CP spastic in vali-Asr rehabilitation foundation of Tehran. Children were divided into 3 groups [often children each group] randomly; groupe 1 received hinged AFO, groupe 2 solid AFO, and group 3 [control group] received no AFOs for 3 months. Standing and walking functions were evaluated by Gross Motor Function Measure-88. There were significant differences in standing and walking functions after intervention in the 3 groups [p=0.005]. There were also significant differences between the 3 groups in terms of mean differences of total scores before and after the intervention [p= 0.015]. There were significant differences between the two groups hinged AFO and solid AFO and between hinged AFO group and control group, [p= 0.000], but between the two groups, solid AFO and control, there was no differences. Hinged AFO showed more improvement in standing and walking functions among children with CP spastic, and could be recommended for children with CP, especially, for those who could stand up or walk with or without assistive devices