Children with idiopathic toe walking display differences in lower limb joint ranges and strength compared to peers: a case control study.

Background: Idiopathic toe walking (ITW) is an exclusionary diagnosis. There has been limited exploration of lower limb active range of motion and strength measures in children with ITW. This researched aimed to determine any differences in lower limb muscle active range of motion and strength in children who have ITW, compared to normative data collected from children who displayed typical gait.

Methods: Children were recruited with had a diagnosis of ITW, aged between 4 and 10 years, and no recent treatment. Data collected included parent reported data such as time spent toe walking, percentage of time spent toe walking, and clinician collected data such as age, height and weight. Joint ranges of motion and strength measures were collected by an experience clinician. Active and weight bearing joint ranges of motion were evaluated with a goniometer or digital inclinometer. Lower limb muscle strength measures were evaluated with a hand-held dynamometer. Published normative data sets were used for comparison. Measures were analysed with regression analyses to determine differences between groups in different measures, considering measures known to impact range and strength. Odds ratios (OR), 95% confidence intervals (CI) and p values were reported.

Results: Twenty-six children with ITW participated. Reduced weight bearing ankle range of motion, when measured with the knee bent, was associated with being in the ITW group (p = 0.009), being older (p < 0.001) and weighing less (p < 0.001). Reduced ankle plantar flexion range was only associated with being in the ITW group (p = 0.015). For all lower limb strength measures, excluding hip external rotation, children who displayed greater strength, did not toe walk (p < 0.002), were older (p < 0.001) and weighed more (p < 0.014). with ITW.

Conclusion: Children with ITW displayed reduced overall plantar and dorsiflexion at the ankle, compared to non-toe walking children. Reduced plantarflexion is children with ITW has not been described before, however reduced dorsiflexion is commonly reported. Children with ITW were weaker in many lower limb measures, even when age and weight were considered. This should lead clinicians and researchers to pay greater attention to lower limb strength measures in this population.