The Interzonal Distribution of the Load on the Plantar Surface of the Foot During Walking in the Patients with Cerebral Palsy as an Objective Criterion of Functional Impairment Severity

Relevance . The main direction of rehabilitation of children with cerebral palsy is the preservation and enhancement of the existing level of support and locomotion, as well as compensation of its impairment through various methods of rehabilitation. For an adequate prescription and reliable assessment of these measures effectiveness, it is necessary to use objective indicators of functional impairment characteristic of cerebral palsy. The purpose of this study was to substantiate objective biomechanical indicators of functional impairment in children with cerebral palsy based on the analysis of the interzonal distribution of the load on the foot during walking, taking into account the level of global motor functions impairment. Materials and Methods . 47 children with cerebral palsy at the GMFCS levels of impairment 1 to 3 were examined. The control group consisted of 14 children without anatomical and functional signs of support and locomotion system impairment. Biomechanical examination was performed on the complex «DiaSled-M-Scan» with matrix plantar pressure meters in the form of insoles. The statistical analysis of the data was carried out by nonparametric methods using the SPSS for Widows software. Results . The analysis of the anatomical and functional impairment of 94 feet of the children with cerebral palsy and 28 feet of the control group revealed differences in the interzonal distribution of the load under the feet in six variables ( p from <0.001 to 0.003). The most typical were: an increase in the toe-to-heel load ratio (on average by 80%), an increase in the load on the arch (by 49%), and a decrease in the medio-lateral load ratio on the toe (by 37%). For GMFCS 1 patients, a significant indicator of impairment was an increase in the partial load on the arch, for GMFCS 2 and 3 patients — a decrease in the load on the heel and an increase it under the toe. This leads to an increase in the toe-to-heel load ratio. Conclusion . It is advisable to use the revealed indicators of roll-over-the-foot impairment in the functional diagnosis of the condition and in assessing the effectiveness of rehabilitation of children with cerebral palsy.