Thorax and pelvis kinematics during walking, a comparison between children with and without cerebral palsy: A systematic review

BACKGROUND:
Dysfunctional postural control and pathological thorax and pelvis motions are often observed in children with cerebral palsy (CP) and can be considered as an indicator of diminished dynamic stability.
OBJECTIVE:
The aim of this study was to identify the differences between children with CP and typically developing children in three-dimensional thorax and pelvis kinematics during walking.
METHODS:
Three electronic databases were searched by using different combinations of keywords. The methodological quality of the studies was assessed by two researchers with the Strobe quality checklist.
RESULTS:
Ten studies (methodological quality: 32% to 74%) with in total 259 children with CP and 220 typically developing children (mean age: 7.6 to 13.6 year) were included. Compared to typically developing children, children with bilateral CP showed an increased range of motion of the thorax, pelvis and spine during walking. The results of the children with unilateral CP were less clear.
CONCLUSION:
In general, children with bilateral CP showed larger movement amplitudes of the trunk compared to children without CP. This increase in movement amplitudes could influence the dynamic stability of the body during walking. In children with unilateral CP, the results were less obvious and further research on this topic is required.