Article

Balance is a major determinate of gait. In high functioning individuals without
significant vestibular or vision impairments, a ceiling effect may be present
when using a double limb support protocol to assess balance function. For these
populations, a single leg stance protocol may be more suitable. 47 typically
developing (TD) subjects and 10 patients with CEV performed a single leg stance
test on a force plate. The center of pressure (COP) was determined and several COP derived variables were calculated. Included measurements were: standard
deviation, maximum excursion, area, average radial displacement, path velocity
and frequency of the COP. Directional components of suitable variables were used
to analyze anterior/posterior and medial/lateral contributions. Correlations with
age of TD subjects indicated that all balance variables except frequency were
significantly correlated. Most parameters were highly inter-correlated. Age
adjusted COP balance variables also correlated to the Bruininks-Oseretsky balance
subtest. Highest correlations were determined by the maximum excursion and
velocity of the COP in the anterior/posterior direction. Statistical comparisons
between the CEV group and a
4-6 TD group indicated significant differences
between groups for most COP balance parameters. These results indicated that a
single limb balance assessment may be a useful assessment for determining balance
impairments in higher functioning children with orthopedic impairments.
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Langue : ANGLAIS