Gait characteristics, balance performance and falls in ambulant adults with cerebral palsy: An observational study

Incidence of falls among adults with cerebral palsy: a cohort study using primary care data

“…The latter two factors suggest that mobility is associated with falls, with those being more mobile having a higher risk of a fall. However, a study of adults with CP found that 0 out of 2 adults in Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) level I, 5 out of 10 adults in GMFCS level II, and 4 out of 5 adults in GMFCS level III reported a fall in the past year . Another study found that 2 out of 4 adults in GMFCS level I, 12 out of 16 in GMFCS level II, and 3 out of 5 in GMFCS level III reported experiencing at least one fall in the past year .…”

“…Fifteen per cent of adults with CP had at least one fall recorded in the medical record during follow‐up. This was much lower than the prevalence of falls reported in two previous studies of adults with CP . The prevalence of at least one fall in the past year was 68% and 53% respectively, among small samples of adults with CP in Australia.…”

“…In a study of 25 ambulatory adults with CP in Australia, 68% reported at least one fall in the past year, with the annual number of self‐reported falls ranging from 1 to 500 . A second study of 17 ambulatory adults with CP in Australia found that 53% had experienced at least one fall in the past year . This sample was slightly younger than that in the previous study, which may explain the lower prevalence of falls.…”

“…4 A second study of 17 ambulatory adults with CP in Australia found that 53% had experienced at least one fall in the past year. 9 This sample was slightly younger than that in the previous study, which may explain the lower prevalence of falls. While these studies suggest that the prevalence of falls is high among adults with CP, they are limited by their small size, lack of precision, use of retrospective self-reported falls as the outcome, and a relatively short duration of follow-up.…”

“…Although a cross‐sectional study found stride length was shorter among fallers (defined as ≥1 self‐reported fall in the past year) compared to non‐fallers, it is not clear if shorter stride length is a cause or consequence of falls. Balance, gait speed, and other temporal‐spatial gait parameters such as step width, cadence, and double support time did not differ between fallers and non‐fallers . Among ambulatory and non‐ambulatory children with CP, parent‐reported behavioural problems, a history of frequent falls, the ability to balance on knees without support, and not having a contracture of the hip were risk factors for falls during an in‐patient hospital stay .…”