Hip locomotion mechanisms in cerebral palsy crouch gait

The purpose of this study was to evaluate three defined locomotion patterns in cerebral palsy gait using computerised gait analysis. Ambulant diplegic children who had no previous surgery were included in the study and were divided into two groups: one group consisted of children having a crouch gait, and the other group did not have the crouch pattern of gait. An age-matched group of normal children served as the control group. Locomotion patterns studied were the hip hike, propulsive function of the hip extensors, and pseudo-adduction. A statistical analysis was performed between the groups, using defined parameters. The mechanism of hip hike was not utilised by any of the groups. Both groups of diplegic children showed power generation at the hip beginning in the first double support phase of the gait cycle and continuing in the first half of single limb support, while in the normals this was only in the first half of single limb support. Both the groups of diplegic children showed significantly more internal rotation in the first half of stance as compared to the group of normal children; the degree of hip adduction was the same in all the groups. Thus diplegic children had pseudo-adduction.