PURPOSE: Investigating gait characteristics during the early stages of walking in CP may contribute to the understanding of the development of impaired gait. The objective of this study was to investigate differences in the variability and symmetry of spatiotemporal gait characteristics during the early years of walking in children with bilateral spastic CP compared to children with similar amounts of walking experience and typical development (TD). METHODS: The spatiotemporal gait parameters of 31 children (15 with spastic CP, 16 with TD) who had an average of 28.5 (18.1 SD) months of walking experience were collected using an instrumented walkway. RESULTS: All primary spatiotemporal parameters were reduced in the CP group, who also demonstrated greater stride-to-stride variability, compared to the TD group. There were no statistically significant differences in side-to-side symmetry between groups. IMPLICATIONS: Clinical trials investigating gait interventions during the early years of walking in children with CP should be conducted to determine if treatment can reduce the functional limitations that are present during the emergence of walking skills. Further investigation should examine variability and symmetry in the kinematics, kinetics, and muscle activity patterns of early walkers with CP, and the effect of treatment on the variability and symmetry of walking characteristics.
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