In this study, 10 sagittal lower limb range-of-motion measures were conducted in a blinded fashion in 25 children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy and in 25 age- and sex-matched controls. The participants comprised 22 males, mean age 10 years 8 months and 28 females, with mean age 9 years 8 months; age range 6 to 17 years. One paediatric physical therapist performed duplicate goniometric measures at zero time and 7 days later using the same sequence of measures, location, and time of day. Mean absolute differences for measures within one session ranged from 0.7 to 2.9 degrees in controls and from 1 to 4.2 degrees in children with spastic diplegia. Most intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) for intra-sessional measures were more than 0.90 in both groups. Measures between sessions were less reliable. Mean absolute differences between sessions were up to 7.1 degrees for children with spastic diplegia and 8.6 degrees for controls, with most ICCs being less than 0.80. Inter-sessional variation in measures was similar in both groups, suggesting that measurement variability is not influenced by the presence of spasticity. Averaging of two measures did not improve inter-sessional reliability compared with the use of a single measure. Dynamic measures (R1) were as reliable as passive measures (R2), but there were inter-sessional differences in calculations using R1 and R2 measures of up to 30 degrees.

Measurements of passive range of motion are often used to define the degree of muscle shortening in children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy. However, little is known about the expected values of passive range of motion measurements in children with spastic diplegia and how these might differ from age and gender matched norms taken from the same population. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare eight lower limb measurements of sagittal plane passive range of motion in 22 children with spastic diplegia, GMFCS I to II, with 22 matched controls. Children with spastic diplegia had minimal hip extension loss, but reduced hamstring length, with popliteal angle averaging -59.2+/-10.6 degrees (control -38.8+/-13.4 degrees, p < 0.001) and SLR averaging 52.7+/-10.2 degrees (control 75.8+/-11.1 degrees, p < 0.001). Ankle dorsiflexion with knee extension averaged -2.5+/-8.4 degrees in children with spastic diplegia (control 8.6+/-6.8 degrees, p < 0.001). These data confirmed that children with mild spastic diplegia had some restriction in passive range of motion compared to controls but that there was considerable variability between individuals.

In this study, 10 sagittal lower limb range‐of‐motion measures were conducted in a blinded fashion in 25 children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy and in 25 age‐ and sex‐matched controls. The participants comprised 22 males, mean age 10 years 8 months and 28 females, with mean age 9 years 8 months; age range 6 to 17 years. One paediatric physical therapist performed duplicate goniometric measures at zero time and 7 days later using the same sequence of measures, location, and time of day. Mean absolute differences for measures within one session ranged from 0.7 to 2.9° in controls and from 1 to 4.2° in children with spastic diplegia. Most intra‐class correlation coefficients (ICCs) for intra‐sessional measures were more than 0.90 in both groups. Measures between sessions were less reliable. Mean absolute differences between sessions were up to 7.1° for children with spastic diplegia and 8.6° for controls, with most ICCs being less than 0.80. Inter‐sessional variation in measures was similar in both groups, suggesting that measurement variability is not influenced by the presence of spasticity. Averaging of two measures did not improve inter‐sessional reliability compared with the use of a single measure. Dynamic measures (R1) were as reliable as passive measures (R2), but there were inter‐sessional differences in calculations using R1 and R2 measures of up to 30°.

Measurements of passive range of motion are often used to define the degree of muscle shortening in children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy. However, little is known about the expected values of passive range of motion measurements in children with spastic diplegia and how these might differ from age and gender matched norms taken from the same population. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare eight lower limb measurements of sagittal plane passive range of motion in 22 children with spastic diplegia, GMFCS I to II, with 22 matched controls. Children with spastic diplegia had minimal hip extension loss, but reduced hamstring length, with popliteal angle averaging -59.2+/-10.6 degrees (control -38.8+/-13.4 degrees, p < 0.001) and SLR averaging 52.7+/-10.2 degrees (control 75.8+/-11.1 degrees, p < 0.001). Ankle dorsiflexion with knee extension averaged -2.5+/-8.4 degrees in children with spastic diplegia (control 8.6+/-6.8 degrees, p < 0.001). These data confirmed that children with mild spastic diplegia had some restriction in passive range of motion compared to controls but that there was considerable variability between individuals.

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