Investigation of the Effect of Plastic Ankle Orthoses (PAFO) on trunk position in children with Cerebral Palsy

This study was designed to investigate the effect of plastic ankle orthoses (PAFO) on trunk position in children with cerebral palsy. Eleven individuals aged 4-16 years were included in the study. During the measurement of the surface topography of the individuals with and without the orthosis, white light strips (raster lines) were projected on the back of the feet. A digital photograph of the image was taken to assess the precise surface asymmetry and identify the bony prominences. During imaging, the Formetric 4D (Diers International GmbH, Schlangenbad, Germany) device measured patients at an interval of 6 seconds and took 2 images per second. The surface topography measurements of the individuals after repeatedly removing their orthoses were recorded in the Formetric 4D (Diers International GmbH, Schlangenbad, Germany) device and software program. The software program of the Formetric 4D (Diers International GmbH, Schlangenbad, Germany) device was used to evaluate the topographic measurements and data after orthosis and orthosis use. For functional assessment of individuals, Timed Get Up and Go Test (TUG), 2 Minutes Walk Test (2MWT), 10 Meter Walk Test (10MWT), Functional Reaching Test (FRT), One Leg Standing Test (SLS), Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) tests were performed. Antero-posterior change, mediolateral change, vertebral rotation amount parameters from the data calculated by the software program after the measurement made in the evaluation of the surface topography were compared. It was seen that the data showed normal distribution with the Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test. Data were recorded as mean and ± standard deviation. A p value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant in all analyzes. Differences without orthosis and after removal of the orthosis were compared with the t test for statistical analysis. When the results with and without orthosis were compared, it was seen that the use of bilateral PAFO did not cause any change in the amount of antero-posterior change, mediolateral change and vertebral rotation. There is a need for long-term studies on the duration and effectiveness of orthosis use.