Muscle Shortening and Spastic Cocontraction in Gastrocnemius Medialis and Peroneus Longus in Very Young Hemiparetic Children

Joint Authors

Boulay, Christophe
Vinti, M.
Bayle, N.
Authier, G.
Gracies, J.-M.
Pesenti, Sébastien
Merlo, A.
Chabrol, Brigitte
Jouve, Jean-Luc

Source

BioMed Research International

Issue

Vol. 2018, Issue 2018 (31 Dec. 2018), pp.1-10, 10 p.

Publisher

Hindawi Publishing Corporation

Publication Date

2018-05-21

Country of Publication

Egypt

No. of Pages

10

Main Subjects

Medicine

Abstract EN

Objectives.

Muscle shortening and spastic cocontraction in ankle plantar flexors may alter gait since early childhood in cerebral palsy (CP).

We evaluated gastrosoleus complex (GSC) length, and gastrocnemius medialis (GM) and peroneus longus (PL) activity during swing phase, in very young hemiparetic children with equinovalgus.

Methods.

This was an observational, retrospective, and monocentric outpatient study in a pediatric hospital.

Ten very young hemiparetic children (age 3 ± 1 yrs) were enrolled.

These CP children were assessed for muscle extensibility (Tardieu scale XV1) in GSC (angle of arrest during slow-speed passive ankle dorsiflexion with the knee extended) and monitored for GM and PL electromyography (EMG) during the swing phase of gait.

The swing phase was divided into three periods (T1, T2, and T3), in which we measured a cocontraction index (CCI), ratio of the Root Mean Square EMG (RMS-EMG) from each muscle during that period to the peak 500 ms RMS-EMG obtained from voluntary plantar flexion during standing on tiptoes (from several 5-second series, the highest RMS value was computed over 500 ms around the peak).

Results.

On the paretic side: (i) the mean XV1-GSC was 100° (8°) (median (SD)) versus 106° (3°) on the nonparetic side (p=0.032, Mann–Whitney); (ii) XV1-GSC diminished with age between ages of 2 and 5 (Spearman, ρ = 0.019); (iii) CCIGM and CCIPL during swing phase were higher than on the nonparetic side (CCIGM, 0.32 (0.20) versus 0.15 (0.09), p<0.01; CCIPL, 0.52 (0.30) versus 0.24 (0.17), p<0.01), with an early difference significant for PL from T1 (p=0.03).

Conclusions.

In very young hemiparetic children, the paretic GSC may rapidly shorten in the first years of life.

GM and PL cocontraction during swing phase are excessive, which contributes to dynamic equinovalgus.

Muscle extensibility (XV1) may have to be monitored and preserved in the first years of life in children with CP.

Additional measurements of cocontraction may further help target treatments with botulinum toxin, especially in peroneus longus.

American Psychological Association (APA)

Vinti, M.& Bayle, N.& Merlo, A.& Authier, G.& Pesenti, Sébastien& Jouve, Jean-Luc…[et al.]. 2018. Muscle Shortening and Spastic Cocontraction in Gastrocnemius Medialis and Peroneus Longus in Very Young Hemiparetic Children. BioMed Research International،Vol. 2018, no. 2018, pp.1-10.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-1124971

Modern Language Association (MLA)

Vinti, M.…[et al.]. Muscle Shortening and Spastic Cocontraction in Gastrocnemius Medialis and Peroneus Longus in Very Young Hemiparetic Children. BioMed Research International No. 2018 (2018), pp.1-10.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-1124971

American Medical Association (AMA)

Vinti, M.& Bayle, N.& Merlo, A.& Authier, G.& Pesenti, Sébastien& Jouve, Jean-Luc…[et al.]. Muscle Shortening and Spastic Cocontraction in Gastrocnemius Medialis and Peroneus Longus in Very Young Hemiparetic Children. BioMed Research International. 2018. Vol. 2018, no. 2018, pp.1-10.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-1124971

Data Type

Journal Articles

Language

English

Notes

Includes bibliographical references

Record ID

BIM-1124971