Differences in morphological parameters of calf muscles among children and adolescents with spastic cerebral palsy at different mobility levels and their relationships with walking ability.

BackgroundPurposeMethodsResultsConclusionPrevious studies have demonstrated alterations in skeletal muscle morphology and architecture in individuals with spastic cerebral palsy (CP). However, it remains unclear whether these morphological parameters vary across different mobility levels or how they...

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Publicado en:Physiotherapy Theory & Practice pp. 1 - 10
Autores principales: Erkut, Ümit, Bingöl, Hasan
Formato: Journal Article
Publicado: Taylor & Francis Ltd Mar2026
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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        09593985
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      issn: 09593985
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      dt: Mar2026
      pid: 377
      pub: Taylor & Francis Ltd
      place: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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        192370116
        10.1080/09593985.2026.2647789
        192370116
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        atl: Differences in morphological parameters of calf muscles among children and adolescents with spastic cerebral palsy at different mobility levels and their relationships with walking ability.
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        au:
          Erkut, Ümit
          Bingöl, Hasan
        affil: Rumeli University
      sug:
      ab: BackgroundPurposeMethodsResultsConclusionPrevious studies have demonstrated alterations in skeletal muscle morphology and architecture in individuals with spastic cerebral palsy (CP). However, it remains unclear whether these morphological parameters vary across different mobility levels or how they relate to walking ability.This study aimed to examine morphological parameters of calf muscle across functional mobility levels in children and adolescents with spastic CP and their relationships with walking ability.Children and adolescents with spastic CP, aged 5–17 years (mean age: 11.72 ± 4.6 years), were recruited in the study. Morphological parameters of the gastrocnemius medialis (GM), gastrocnemius lateralis (GL), and soleus muscle in the more severely affected lower limb were assessed using a B-mode ultrasound. Walking ability (i.e. mobility and locomotion activities) was evaluated using both the Gillette Functional Assessment Questionnaire-22 item skill set (FAQ-22) and ABILOCO-Kids.Analysis revealed a significant decrease in muscle thickness (p1 = .013; p2 = .032; p3 < .001) and fascicle length (p1 < .001; p2 < .001) with declining mobility levels, except for GL fascicle length (<italic>p</italic> = .061). Conversely, pennation angle was significantly greater in children with severe motor involvement (<italic>p</italic> < .001 for all). Moderate to very strong correlations were found between calf muscle morphological parameters and walking ability (<italic>r</italic> = −0.41 to 0.89). Notably, muscle thickness demonstrated the strongest correlation coefficients with walking ability (<italic>r</italic> = 0.83–0.89).The significant associations between GM and soleus muscle thickness and walking ability indicated that these muscles are important contributors to functional mobility in children and adolescents with CP. These findings also emphasized that musculoskeletal integrity remains a critical factor of mobility and locomotion activities, even within contemporary participation‑focused rehabilitation models.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype: Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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