Development of displacement of centre of mass during independent walking in children

[Guest guest]

Abstract from Dev Med Child Neurol. 2004 Aug;46(8):533-9.

Development of displacement of centre of mass during independent walking

in children.

Dierick F, Lefebvre C, van den Hecke A, Detrembleur C.

Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine Unit, Universite catholique de

Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.

The aims of this study were to assess the characteristics of

three-dimensional displacement of the centre of mass of the body (CMb)

during walking in healthy children and to compare it with those of young

adults. Twenty-one children (11 males, 10 females; age range 1 to 9

years) were recruited from the nursery and school attached to the

Universite catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium; and three young

adults (one male two females; mean age 26 years 4 months) were recruited

from the Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine Unit of the same

university. Displacement of CMb was assessed at different walking

velocities in the children and adults by two successive mathematical

integrations of ground reaction forces, measured by a large strain-gauge

force platform. Displacement of CMb was controlled for leg length of the

participant to eliminate the scaling effect that is dependent on growth.

Results showed that vertical and lateral amplitudes of the CMb when

controlled for leg length were greater for children before 4 years of

age and that the forward amplitude when controlled for leg length was

greater for children before 7 years of age. We conclude that the

development of mature human CMb displacement during independent walking

is a gradual neural process, evolving until the age of 7 years.