The association between the maximum step length test and the walking efficiency in children with cerebral palsy.
Minoru Kimoto, Kyoji Okada, Hitoshi Sakamoto and 1 others
PMID 28603353WHAT IT FOUND
A longer maximum forward step on the dominant side was strongly linked to lower walking heartbeats per meter in 31 children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy.
Cadence was not linked to walking efficiency.
Key findings
01The maximum forward step length on the dominant side accounted for 75.9% of the variation in walking heartbeats per meter and 61.6% of the variation in walking heartbeats.
02Cadence was not linked to walking efficiency measures.
03Maximum forward step length was greater on the dominant side than the non-dominant side, 0.877 m versus 0.844 m.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study included only 31 children from one clinic, all classified as GMFCS level I or II and able to walk without devices, so it may not apply to children with more severe mobility limitations. It measured associations at one time point, so it cannot show that increasing maximum step length caused better walking efficiency. No training program was tested, so the paper does not show that exercises to increase step length improve walking efficiency. The sample was limited to children who could follow verbal instructions and did not use walking devices.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that increasing maximum step length improves walking efficiency. The study measured associations in 31 children and did not test a training program.