Effects of Ankle-Foot Orthoses on Gait Parameters in Children with Diplegic Cerebral Palsy Based on Kinect Analysis: A Preliminary Study

Introduction: An objective, child-friendly tool is needed for physical rehabilitation intervention and evaluation of cerebral palsy children with permanent neuromotor disorders affecting movement and postures and causing gait deviation. Materials and Methods: This study describes the feature of gait parameters in children with spastic cerebral palsy (SCP) using Microsoft Kinect and compares several spatiotemporal gait parameters before and after the use of ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs). The parameters measured were cadence and stride length. The types of orthotic devices used were hinged ankle-foot orthosis (HAFO) and supramalleolar orthosis (SMO). Results: The gait analysis results showed different effects in stride length and cadence on each subject after using the orthotic devices. The effects also were significantly different between each patient (P < 0.050). Conclusions: Kinect v2.0 may be more valid and comfortable for evaluating gait AFOs in cerebral palsy children. Clinical Relevance: Improvement gait in cerebral palsy after use AFO could be evaluated by Kinect v2.0 as an objective tool and friendly for children.