The Characteristics of Foot Pressure in Children with Mild Spastic Diplegic Cerebral Palsy Related to Medial Arch Formation

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To find out the characteristics of foot pressure in children with mild spastic diplegic cerebral palsy over 7 years old compared with those of normal children. METHOD: Twenty children with mild spastic diplegic cerebral palsy and fourteen normal children over 7 years old articipated in this study. The foot was divided into 7 portions and then foot contact area, pressure of each foot portion and pathway of center of pressure (COP) were measured and analyzed by F-scan system (Tekscan Inc., USA) RESULTS: In children with cerebral palsy, first metatarsal area MET1) showed the highest relative impulse followed by MET2/3, hindfoot and hallux. Relative impulse of hallux, MET1 and medial midfoot were significantly higher in cerebral palsied than in normal children, while that of hindfoot was significantly lower in cerebral palsied than in normal children. Anteroposterior ratio of COP and gait velocity were significantly lower in cerebral palsied than in normal children. CONCLUSION: The characteristics of foot pressure distribution and the pathway of COP in children with mild spastic diplegic cerebral palsy were identified by quantitative analysis by F-scan system. Foot scan could be used for eval uating the foot pathology in children with cerebral palsy during gait.