Purpose: The purpose of this retrospective pilot study was to identify the effect(s) that rigid, hinged, and supramalleolar othoses had on characteristics of gait in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Subjects: Twenty-five patients with CP and who had prior gait analyses were included. They were assigned to three groups, characterized by the orthoses worn during the gait study; six wore rigid ankle foot orthoses (AFO) and walked with assistive devices, 12 wore hinged AFOs and were independent of assistive devices, and 6 wore supramalleolar orthoses (SMO) and were independent of assistive devices. Methods: Gait data collected from these three groups included: ipsilateral hip, knee and ankle sagittal plane kinematics in swing and stance periods, as well as ipsilateral step length. Conclusion: The rigid AFO group in this study experienced benefits from the orthosis in both swing and stance periods. The hinged AFO and SMO groups displayed clinically desirable effects of the orthosis in the stance period and clincially undesirable effects of the orthosis in the swing period. Prospective research with larger sample sizes is needed to determine if these findings can be generalized to the population of children with CP. Relevance: Orthoses are frequently prescribed for children, based on their intended effects in stance. A detailed assessment of orthoses in both stance and swing periods of gait pre- and post-fitting will enhance the prescription of orthoses and improve the functional effects of orthoses on mobility of children with CP.
