The assessment of influence gait training using active orthoses on balance of children with cerebral palsy

Cerebral palsy is the result of damage the central nervous system in early brain development. Motor disorders resulting from damage to the maturing brain reflect the wide variety of different cortical and subcortical injuries occurring in the first year of the child life [1].In contrast to healthy children, postural-locomotion patterns of children with cerebral palsy is characterized by high variability. Abnormalities observed in these children are due to improper control of movements of the child and is the result of brain damage and the compensating mechanisms. Primary symptoms of damage the central nervous system include: lack of selective motor control (particularly in the distal parts of the lower limbs), the influence of primitive reflexes, weakness of postural reflexes, sensory disorders, improper distribution and size of postural tension and imbalance of muscle activity between the agonist and antagonist muscles. The effect of these factors is the occurrence of irregular forces acting on the musculoskeletal system, which contributes to the onset of secondary symptoms: contractures, bone deformities and the development of joints luxation or subluxation. These changese depend on the type and severity of central nervous system damage and intensifies with age. Compensation mechanisms cause the perpetuation of abnormal postural-locomotive patterns, belonging to the tertiary symptoms. The aim of this study is to assess the balance, including foot loading symmetry, in the group of children with spastic diplegia treated using active orthoses [2].