Fatigue resistance during a voluntary performance task is associated with lower levels of mobility in cerebral palsy.

Objectives: To investigate muscle fatigue of the knee flexors and extensors in people with cerebral palsy (CP) compared with those without motor disability during performance of a voluntary fatigue protocol and to investigate the relationship with functional mobility.

Design: A case-control study.

Setting: A biomechanics laboratory.

Participants: Ambulatory subjects with CP (n=18; mean age, 17.5 y) in Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels I, II, and III and a comparison group of age-matched subjects (n=16) without motor disability (mean age, 16.6 y).

Interventions: Not applicable.

Main Outcome Measures: The voluntary muscle fatigue protocol consisted of concentric knee flexion and extension at 60 degrees a second for 35 repetitions on an isokinetic dynamometer. Peak torque for each repetition was normalized by the maximum peak torque value. Muscle fatigue was calculated as the rate of decline in normalized peak torque across all repetitions, represented by the slope of the linear regression. Self-selected and fast gait velocities were measured as well as the Pediatric Outcomes Data Collection Instrument (PODCI).

Results: Greater fatigability (slope) was observed in the comparison group for both knee flexors and extensors than in the group with CP. Within CP, lower knee extensor fatigue (slope) was associated with lower functioning GMFCS levels and lower levels of activity and participation as measured by the PODCI transfers and basic mobility.

Conclusions: Even after adjusting for maximum peak torque, the knee flexors and extensors of participants with CP were observed to be less fatigable than age-matched peers without motor disability. The lower rate of muscle fatigue was also associated with lower functional mobility in CP. These results may be related to strength or activation differences and/or muscle property alterations. Future investigations are warranted.