Gait Classification in Children With Cerebral Palsy, a Reliability Study

Current retrospective observational study aims to assess the reliability and validity of gait pattern classification systems in ambulatory children with CP. Gait classification is often performed using kinematic gait data obtained via a three dimensional (3D) data captured in a specialized gait lab using infra-red cameras. However, not all hospitals and clinical centers have access to such a specialized gait lab, and therefore often use video recordings as an alternative for gait classification. It is currently not known whether such a classification based on solely video recordings is equally reliable in comparison with kinematic gait data. For this purpose, current study aims to assess the reliability and validity of video recordings to classify children with CP according to predefined gait classifications. Sagittal plane video recordings during barefoot walking in children with CP will be used to classify the study participants into seven different gait classification patterns. For reliability, inter-rater reliability between raters scoring the video recordings will be assessed. To evaluate whether video recordings could serve as a valid alternative for kinematic gait data, the agreement between the classifications from the video recordings and the kinematic data additionally will be assessed.

Inclusion criteria

• Main diagnosis of spastic cerebral palsy
• Age 3 to 18 at the time of gait analysis
• Availability of barefoot walking data collected at the Karolinska Hospital gait lab
• Written informed consent of both parents to use the clinically collected data as research data

Exclusion criteria

• Main diagnosis of dyskinetic or ataxic cerebral palsy
• No barefoot walking trials available
• No kinematic data available
• BTX-A injections 6 months prior to gait analysis
• Orthopaedic surgery one year prior to gait analysis