Ankle-foot orthoses: effect on gait in children with cerebral palsy

Purpose: In this study our aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of Ankle-Foot Orthoses (AFOs) on gait function in patients with spastic cerebral palsy for whom orthoses were indicated to control dynamic equines deformity. Method: Twenty-four spastic cerebral palsied patients with dynamic equines deformity were included in the study. Videotape recordings were performed to each patient on the same day with barefoot and AFOs. Temporal distance factors including velocity, cadence, stride length, stride width and Clinical Gait Assessment Score (CGAS) were compared across two conditions. Results: The use of AFOs during gait, produced a statistically significant increase in velocity (p=0.011) and stride length (p<0.001), no significant difference in cadence (p= 0,501), and stride width (p= 0.796), and a significant decrease in CGAS (p<0.001), compared to barefoot condition. Conclusions: Cerebral palsied children with dynamic equines deformities can benefit from AFOs for ambulation.