Cerebral palsy (CP) is a non-progressive disorder characterized by impaired motor function that results from injury or disturbance during brain development in a fetus or infant (Bax, Flodmark, & Tydeman, 2007). Diagnosed in 2 to 3 children out of every 1,000 live births, CP is the most common developmental disorder associated with lifelong motor impairment and disability (Aisen, et al., 2011). This disorder is the result of a static lesion to the central nervous system that affects muscle, bone, and joint development and control in the extremities. There are four main types of CP, the most common of which is spastic diplegia. Children with spastic diplegia experience gross motor problems in the lower limbs including spasticity, hypertonia, and an imbalance between agonist and antagonist muscles (Gage, 1994; Bax, Flodmark, & Tydeman, 2007). The motor impairments associated with CP are quantified by reductions in gait kinematics, muscle strength, motor function and quality of life compared to able-bodied controls (Engsberg J. R., Ross, Olree, & Park, 2000).
Works Cited Aisen, M., Kerkovich, D., Mast, J., Mulroy, S., Wren, T., Kay, R., & Rethlefson, S. (2011). Cerebral Palsy: Clinical Care and Neurological Rehabilitation. Lancet Neurology, 10(9), 844-52.
Bax, M., Flodmark, O., & Tydeman, C. (2007). Definition and classifi cation of cerebral palsy. From syndrome toward disease. Dev Med Child Neurol Suppl, 109, 39–41.
Engsberg, J. R., Ross, S. A., Olree, K. S., & Park, T. S. (2000). Ankle spasticity and strength in children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 42-47.
Gage, J. (1994). The role of gait analysis in the treatment of cerebral palsy. Journal of Pediatric Orthopedics, 701-702.