Database for Rehabilitation Measures - Most are FREE!

In my Facebook feed, HeartSpace Physical Therapy for Children , shared a link to a database of over 200 rehabilitation measures.  Many of them are FREE and available in PDF format.  It doesn't get any easier than that for a last minute assessment.  Some of the resources are for the pediatric population so it is definitely worth it to look it over and bookmark your favorites.  There are so many to choose from and it will take a little time to go through the whole list.  The Rehabilitation Measures Database can be found here  http://www.rehabmeasures.org/rehabweb/allmeasures.aspx?PageView=Shared 

I would like to highlight one of the measures each week that are suitable for the pediatric population.  I will go in alphabetical order so it is manageable.

The first one suitable for pediatrics is the 10 Meter Walk Test.



Purpose:   Assesses walking speed in meters per second over a short duration

Age Range:  Preschool Child: 2-5 years; Child: 6-12 years; Adolescent: 13-17 years; Adult: 18-64 years; Elderly adult: 65+

Abilities:  Can use an assistive device is used consistently and documented.  Can not use if individual requires physical assistance to ambulate

Equipment: stopwatch, clear pathway for 10 meters, pen and paper

Test-Retest Reliability: Children with Neuromuscular Disease: (Pirpiris, 2003; n = 29; mean age = 11.5 (3.5) years (6-16), Children with Neuromuscular Disease) Excellent test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.91)

PDF version of test: http://www.rehabmeasures.org/PDF%20Library/10%20Meter%20Walk%20Test%20Instructions.pdf

Reference:  Rehab Measures 10 Meter Walk Test. Retreived from the web on 2/13/15 at ww.rehabmeasures.org/Lists/RehabMeasures/DispForm.aspx?ID=901&Source=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Erehabmeasures%2Eorg%2Frehabweb%2Fallmeasures%2Easpx%3FPageView%3DShared.

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Title: Data Tracking Forms for School Based Occupational and Physical Therapy
By: Your Therapy Source Inc

Summary: Download of 7 data collection forms for monitoring progress
in occupational and physical therapy in the school setting

FIND OUT MORE AT http://yourtherapysource.com/datatracking.html

Stopping Walking

Do you work with children who have difficulty stopping when they are walking?  Have you ever compared motor responses between planned and unplanned stopping when walking?  Recent research was published in Gait and Posture using kinematic and kinetic data to compare walking, planned and unplanned stopping with 15 healthy children ages 11-17 years old.

During unplanned stopping the following results were recorded:

• hip/knee extension or hip/knee flexion strategy was used     
• the peak magnitudes of peak hip extension and peak knee flexion were significantly greater
• the peak plantar flexion moment was significantly smaller    

The researchers concluded that the ability to create sufficient joint moments in a short period of time is essential to be able to stop quickly and safely suggesting that possible treatments should focus on facilitating appropriate strength, power, and range of motion.

Reference:   Sarah Trager Ridge, John Henley, Kurt Manal, Freeman Miller, et al. Kinematic and kinetic analysis of planned and unplanned gait termination in children. Article in press for Gait and Posture. DOI: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2012.06.030

Does CIMT Effect Gait and Balance?

What an interesting question to raise...does constraint induced movement therapy (CIMT) effect gait characteristics, balance and functional locomotor ability? The researchers evaluated 16 children, who participated in a 3 week CIMT program, with the Standardized Walking Obstacle Course (SWOC), the Pediatric Balance Scale (PBS) and the GAITRite Gold system. The children underwent a pretest and post test during the 3 week CIMT program. The results indicated a significant difference in faster cadence and faster velocity. No changes were recorded on the PBS or the SWOC. Reference: Zipp, Genevieve Pinto; Winning, Sue. Effects of Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy on Gait, Balance, and Functional Locomotor Mobility. Pediatric Physical Therapy. 24(1):64-68, Spring 2012. doi: 10.1097/PEP.0b013e31823e0245

Influence of Gender on Surgical Outcomes in Cerebral Palsy

Interesting research was published on the influence of gender on surgical outcomes in 34 children with spastic diplegia. Initially following surgery there was no difference on the Gillette Gait Scale between girls and boys. The children were followed for 10 years. Over the course of the 10 years, the girls maintained their enhanced walking ability whereas the boys exhibited a constant deterioration of walking skills. The authors conclude that gender may influence surgical outcomes in children with cerebral palsy.

Personally, I have not noticed this with the population of children that I have worked following surgical intervention. Have any of you experienced this - boys and girls performing differently?

Reference: Zwick EB, Svehlík M, Kraus T, Steinwender G, Linhart WE. Does gender influence the long-term outcome of single-event multilevel surgery in spastic cerebral palsy? J Pediatr Orthop B. 2011 Oct 24. [Epub ahead of print]

Gait Assessment and Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Journal of Child Neurology published research on the gait assessments of children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy with long distance walking. Overall, the children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy exhibited significantly lower stride velocity and a less smooth trunk movement. When comparing the children with milder symptoms of Duchenne's to children with more moderate symptoms, the milder symptom group showed significantly higher values for cadence and stride velocity. Trunk smoothness was also better in the mild group versus the moderate group.

Reference: Raluca Ganea, MSc et al. Gait Assessment in Children With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy During Long-Distance Walking. Published online before print July 15, 2011, doi: 10.1177/0883073811413581 J Child Neurol July 15, 2011 0883073811413581

Gender Differences and Head Movements

Gait and Posture published research on gender differences in head stabilization during level walking in youth. Fifteen females and fifteen males, ages 8-11, underwent gait analysis walking at their own speed. Sensors were placed at the pelvis, shoulders and head. The results indicated no differences in acceleration values between the genders at the pelvis and shoulders. However, lower head acceleration values were seen in females with regards to medio lateral and anterior posterior directions. The researchers disagreed with a previous study indicating that these gender differences were due to mass distribution, greater pelvic movement or walking habits (i.e.wearing high heels).

This study arises new questions for me... what are the gender differences in head movements during infant development, toddlers and younger children?

References: Claudia Mazzà, Mounir Zoka and Aurelio Cappozzoa Head stabilization in children of both genders during level walking Gait & Posture Volume 31, Issue 4, April 2010, Pages 429-432