Developmental and locomotor disorders in children

From one year of age, gait and balance disorders are frequent complaints in neurology. During the first year following the acquisition of independent walking, most of the gait, such as transition from digitigrade to plantigrade locomotion, parameters are well-established in children. Nevertheless, bipedal locomotion means solving a large number of balance problems. Locomotor balance needs many years to mature in the course of ontogenesis. From various gait analysis, it was possible to establish a repertoire of locomotor strategies used in typical and pathological development. The last part of this paper is devoted to the possible responses that can be proposed for gait and balance disorders occurring during childhood. (c) 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.