Two-year 3D gait outcomes following in-situ pinning or modified Dunn procedure in children with slipped capital femoral epiphysis.

Background: Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis (SCFE) is femoral head slippage off the femoral neck through the physis occurring in children aged 8-16 years. Surgical intervention is required in all paediatric cases and there is no universal agreement on choice of surgical procedure.

Research Question: What are the two-year 3D gait outcomes in children with SCFE who have undergone in-situ pinning (PIN) or modified Dunn procedure (MDP) compared with normative reference values?

Methods: 17 children with SCFE who had undergone PIN (n=7, slip severity mild to moderate) or MDP (n=10, slip severity moderate to severe) surgical procedures prospectively underwent a 3D gait analysis post-surgery (2∙0 ± 0∙5 years).

Australia and New Zealand Clinical Motion Analysis Group (ANZ-CMAG) clinical practice recommendations.

Clinical motion analysis involves quantitative measurement of gait patterns to identify gait anomalies that currently or have the potential to impact function, activities of daily living and participation. Clinical motion analysis services are equipped with motion capture technology and comprise specialised staff who deliver 3-dimensional motion analysis services to children and adults who present with varying levels of gait impairment. Data is then used to inform intervention recommendations to clinicians with a view to maintaining independent, functional and pain free walking (or appropriate mobility).

Replicating and redesigning ankle-foot orthoses with 3D printing for children with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.

Background: Children with the most common inherited neuropathy, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), are often prescribed ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs) to improve walking ability and prevent falls by reducing foot drop, postural instability, and other gait impairments. These externally worn assistive devices are traditionally custom-made using thermoplastic vacuum forming. This labour-intensive manufacturing process often results in AFOs which are cumbersome due to limited design options, and are associated with low acceptability, discomfort, and suboptimal impact on gait.

Reliability and sensitivity of radiographic measures of hip dysplasia in childhood Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.

Background: Hip dysplasia is a lack of femoral head coverage and disruption of hip and acetabular alignment and congruency, with severity ranging from mild subluxation in nascent at-risk hips to complete dislocation. Presentation of hip dysplasia in neuromuscular conditions can be sub-clinical or associated with a limp with or without hip pain, abductor and flexor weakness and reduced hip range of motion. Untreated hip dysplasia leads to early onset osteoarthritis requiring hip arthroplasty in early adulthood.

Can pedobarography predict the occurrence of heel rocker in children with lower limb spasticity?

Background: Pedobarography software calculates the centre-of-pressure trajectory in relation to the foot to quantify foot contact patterns. This study presents two new pedobarography measures using the centre-of-pressure trajectory to assess heel rocker.

Methods: To validate these pedobarography measures against 3D gait analysis, emed-x and Vicon Nexus gait analysis data were captured from 25 children aged 8-16 years (11 male) with unilateral (n = 18) and bilateral (n = 7) cerebral palsy or acquired brain injury.

Gait dynamics on an inclined walkway.

Objective: This paper documents research that quantifies and describes the biomechanics of normal gait on inclined surfaces.

Design: Experimental, investigative.

Background: It is necessary to walk on inclined surfaces to negotiate the natural and built environments.