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Completed

NCT Number: NCT03714269

Acute Effects of a Passive Stretching Session on the Mechanical Properties of Medial Gastrocnemius Muscle in Children With Cerebral Palsy

Children with cerebral palsy present early in the childhood altered muscular properties, as soon as structural or stiffness. In the gastrocnemius muscle, altered muscular properties are characterized by short muscle belly length and increased stiffness which contribute to contracture and limiting joint range of motion. This study assess efficacy of an acute high intensity and long-time stretching session of plantarflexors muscle on their viscoelasticity properties and maximal dorsiflexion angle gain. Single stretching session is characterized by high intensity and long time (5 minutes).

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Key information

Conditions

Cerebral Palsy Brain Damage, Chronic Brain Diseases Central Nervous System Diseases Nervous System Diseases

Age range

6 year–14 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

CHU de Saint Etienne

Saint-Etienne, 42055, France

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Children with cerebral palsy of the spastic type
  • Children with a maximum dorsal ankle flexion amplitude limitation of less than 10°.

Exclusion criteria

  • Children who have undergone surgery on the lower limbs.
  • Children with a botulinum toxin injection and/or a series of elongation casts for less than three months.
  • Children with ongoing analgesic treatment

Treatment and study plan

measurement evaluated with an isokinetic dynamometer

Other

measurement of the maximum dorsiflexion angle in degrees evaluated on an isokinetic dynamometer

measurement evaluated with an 2D ultrasound

Other
  • simultaneous recording of force torque, joint angle and myotendinous junction displacement in 2D ultrasound during 5 passive mobilization cycles of ankle flexion-extension at very low speed
  • recording of static images in 2D ultrasound representing the proximal insertion of the gastrocnemius muscle in the internal condyle of the femur, the myotendinous junction.

assessment of the level of discomfort

Other

visual analogue scale (0 = no discomfort and 10 = maximal discomfort)

Primary outcomes

  1. slope of the torque curve force-ankle joint angle in the joint area -25° plantar flexion/maximum dorsal flexion

    Time frame: baseline

Secondary outcomes

  1. Maximum dorsal flexion angle of ankle, knee in maximum extension position

    Time frame: at 5 minutes

  2. slope of the force-displacement torque curve myotendinous junction of the Sural Triceps in the articular sector -25° plantar flexion/maximum dorsal flexion

    Time frame: at 5 minutes

  3. lengths of the musculotendinous unit of the Triceps Sural muscle, the muscular body of the gastrocnemius muscle and the Achilles tendon in cm measured at rest, knee in maximum extension position, ankle angle in neutral plantar/dorsal flexion position.

    Time frame: at 5 minutes

  4. visual analogue scale of discomfort

    Time frame: at 5 minutes

    0 = not discomfort and 10 = maximal discomfort

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Saint Etienne

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2018
Primary completion
2018
Study completion
2018
First posted
Oct 22, 2018
Registry last updated
May 30, 2019

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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