Ankle Movements During Supine Kicking in Infants Born Preterm.

Background: Knowledge of musculoskeletal factors that influence supine kicking of infants born preterm has implications for early intervention.

Hypotheses: Differences exist between infants born preterm and full-term in ankle kinematics during supine kicking, which are attributable to passive measures of the gastrocnemius/soleus (g/s) muscle tendon unit (MTU).

Subjects: Twenty infants born full-term and 22 born preterm were measured at term, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks of age.

Gastrocnemius-soleus muscle tendon unit changes over the first 12 weeks of adjusted age in infants born preterm.

Background And Purpose: Differences in the gastrocnemius-soleus muscle and tendon have been documented shortly after birth in infants born preterm compared with infants born at term. Knowledge of muscle tendon unit lengths at term age to 12 weeks of age in infants born preterm may be useful in understanding motor development.

Participants And Method: Gastrocnemius-soleus muscle tendon unit lengths were compared at term age, at 6 weeks of age, and at 12 weeks of age (preterm adjusted age) in 20 infants born full term and 22 infants born preterm.