Gait analysis in cerebral palsy

Abstract

Electromyography is the most frequently used laboratory method of assessing gait of patients with cerebral palsy. This method has shown that slow stretch testing is non-specific and that electromyograms obtained during walking are of greater value in planning treatment. If surgical treatment is necessary, only those muscles with phase reversal should be considered for transfer; lengthening is appropriate for those with phase prolongation. The addition of movement measurements and force-plate recording increases the amount of information available for analysis. Distinctions can then be attempted between primary abnormalities and compensatory mechanisms, and gait patterns with common demominators can be identified. Only by precise pre- and post-operative studies can treatment for locomotor problems be reliably assessed. Progress in the treatment of patients with cerebral palsy cannot be achieved without such objective assessment.