Longitudinal Study Evaluating a Seating System Using a Sacral Pad and Kneeblock for Children With Cerebral Palsy
By McDonald, Rachael L.; Surtees, Robert; Disability and Rehabilitation, Vol. 12, No. 13, pp. 1041-1047Publication Date: July 2007
Study evaluating the effectiveness over a period of time of an adaptive seating system using a sacral (base of the spine) pad and knee block. The seating system is an extended orthotic device used for children with cerebral palsy to compensate for their inability to sit independently, thus enabling mobility, interaction with the environment and socialization. The knee block and sacral pad hold the knee, hip and pelvis at right angles by a force applied to the pelvis and a counter force at the knees. Together, the two devices improve the position of the pelvis, with optimum alignment of the trunk and head of the user. A force measurement device, consisting of a skin interface pressure monitor (Talley IPM-12) for the sacral pad and a force transducer composed of strain gauges attached to the front of the knee block, was tested on 23 children to determine whether the knee block and sacral pad were working together. Eleven girls and 12 boys, 7-14 years old and classified as type 5 (most severe) on a gross motor function classification scale, participated during a six-visit trial. The knee blocks were removed for a period during the middle of the trial. Study results for the seating system did not indicate improvement in overall posture, but possibly in hip position. Implications for future research are discussed.
Published by: Taylor & Francis, Limited (Website:http://taylorandfrancis.org)
International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (Web Site: http://www.isprm.org )
