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CompletedNCT05025007Updated Aug 9, 2024

The Evaluation of Medial Longitudinal Arch Morphology in Children With Spastic Diplegic Cerebral Palsy by Arch Height Index Measurement Method

An observational study in Diplegic Cerebral Palsy With Spasticity and Pes; Deformity, sponsored by Gazi University. Completed at 1 site in Turkey. Open to participants aged 60 Months to 17 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-08-09.

Sponsored by Gazi University · Observational

Study type
Observational
Model
Case-only
Time perspective
Cross-sectional
Enrollment
20
Ages
60 Months to 17 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Foot deformities are one of the most common orthopedic problems in patients with cerebral palsy(CP). Various methods have been proposed to evaluate foot morphology. Arch height index (AHI) measurement is a simple and quantitative method that can be applied in outpatient settings to evaluate the morphology of the medial longitudinal arch(MLA) of the foot. In this study, we aim to investigate the feasibility of AHI measurement in children with CP and, to identify other clinical findings that may be related to foot arch height determined by the AHI method.

Read the detailed description

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a posture, movement, and motor dysfunction that occurs as a result of non-progressive damage of the developing brain during the intrauterine period or early childhood. Foot deformities, including pes planus and pes cavus, are common in children with CP and deteriorate posture and mobility due to its progressive nature and accompanying pain. Spasticity, muscle imbalances, soft tissue changes, and subsequent skeletal disorders are blamed for foot deformities in patients with CP.

Some methods such as foot posture index, navicular drop test, footprint methods, and radiological imaging have been described to identify and evaluate the MLA and foot/ankle posture. Arch height index (AHI) measurement is a novel method that evaluates especially medial longitudinal arch(MLA) morphology, with proven validity and reliability. It is essentially based on the measurement of the dorsum height and the length of the foot by using various caliper systems during varying degrees of load-bearing like sitting or standing. AHI measurement has some advantages over other methods. Measuring AHI during varying degrees of load-bearing such as sitting or standing allows us to quantitatively assess the mobility of the MLA. AHI measurement should be preferred in patients with foot sole skin disorders where footprint measurement methods are inefficient. Its results are not affected by some factors such as x-ray tube angle differences in foot radiography. It does not pose a risk of radiation exposure and is easy to apply. However, there is no data on the effectiveness of the AHI method in determining the MLA morphology in children with CP.

The first hypothesis of this study is that AHI measurement results in patients with CP correlate with data obtained from standard foot radiographs. The second aim of the study is to investigate the relationship between MLA morphology and other findings such as joint range of motion and spasticity of lower extremity muscles in patients with CP.

Patients with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy who were admitted to the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department of our hospital will be evaluated in terms of eligibility criteria for the study. Eligible patients will be informed about the trial, and informed consent will be obtained from those who agree to participate. It was planned to recruit 24 subjects with a correlation coefficient of 0.8, a power of 0.90, and a margin of error of 0.05 to determine the correlation between AHI and quantitative foot radiography data.

Demographic data, body mass indexes, physical examination findings including gait patterns, ankle and foot range of motion and tone of the certain lower extremity muscles of participants will be recorded. MLA morphology will be evaluated by foot radiographs and AHI measurements. The AHI measurement will be made both in the bipedal standing and in the sitting position with both feet calmly on the ground. AHI will be calculated by proportioning the height of the dorsum measured from the middle 1/2 of the total length of the foot to truncated foot length.

02

Conditions studied

  • Diplegic Cerebral Palsy With Spasticity
  • Pes; Deformity

Keywords

  • Cerebral Palys
  • Children
  • Arch Height Index
  • Medial Longitudinal Arch
  • Pes Planus
  • Pes Cavus
  • Flatfoot
  • Foot Deformity
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In context

Cerebral Palsy

1,853 studies on the registry are indexed under Cerebral Palsy; 437 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 20 is below the median of 63 across 454 observational studies indexed under Cerebral Palsy.

Browse Cerebral Palsy studies →

Lead sponsor

Gazi University is the lead sponsor of 531 studies on the registry; 99 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
60 Months to 17 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No
Sampling method
Probability sample

Study population

The study cohort will consist of patients with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy who were admitted to our outpatient and inpatient clinics of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department. Every subject meeting the criteria of inclusion is going to be included in the study via a consecutive participant sampling method.

Inclusion criteria

  • Being diagnosed with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy
  • Being between the ages of 5-17
  • Agree to participate in the study

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Excessive spasticity and Achilles contracture that prevents heel contact during stance
  • Botulinum toxin injection into the calf muscles in the last 3 months
  • Prior orthopedic surgery of the Achilles tendon, foot, or ankle
  • Radiculopathy, plexus, or peripheral nerve disorder involving the lower extremities
05

Study design

Observational model
Case-only
Time perspective
Cross-sectional
Enrollment
20 participants (actual)
Patient registry
No

Groups and cohorts

  • Cohort 1

    The study cohort will consist of patients with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy who were admitted to our outpatient and inpatient clinics of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Arch Height Index while bipedeal standing

    The ratio of the height of the dorsum measured from the middle 1/2 of the total length of the foot to truncated foot length while bipedal standing

    Time frame: Initial evaluation of the participant

  2. Arch Height Index while sitting

    he ratio of the height of the dorsum measured from the middle 1/2 of the total length of the foot to truncated foot length while sitting with feet calmly on the ground

    Time frame: Initial evaluation of the participant

  3. Navicular Index

    The ratio of the height of the navicular bone from the ground to the height of the medial longitudinal arch of the foot on lateral foot radiograph.

    Time frame: Initial evaluation of the participant

  4. Calcaneal Inclination Angle

    Angle formed by a line tangent to the inferior cortex of the calcaneus and an horizontal reference line of the plantar plane on lateral foot radiograph.

    Time frame: Initial evaluation of the participant

  5. Lateral Talo-first metatarsal Angle

    Angle formed by the longitudinal axis of the first metatarsal shaft and the longitudinal axis of the talus on lateral foot radiograph.

    Time frame: Initial evaluation of the participant

Secondary outcomes

  1. Popliteal angle

    Popliteal angle was defined as the acute angle between tibia and femur when the knee joint was passively extended with the hip flexed 90 degrees.

    Time frame: Initial evaluation of the participant

  2. Ankle range of motion

    The degree of flexion, extension, inversion, and eversion of the ankle joint that measured regarding the neutral zero methods.

    Time frame: Initial evaluation of the participant

  3. The degree of spasticity of the certain muscles of the lower extremities

    The tonus of hip flexor, hip adductor, knee extensor, knee flexor, ankle plantar flexor, and ankle invertor muscles will be evaluated by the Modified Ashworth Scale. Achilles' tendon tightness will be evaluated by the Silfverskiöld Test.

    Time frame: Initial evaluation of the participant

Other outcomes

  1. Gait pattern

    Based on the visual evaluation, the patient's gait pattern will be determined. (true crop, visible crop, squat gait, knee jump or mixed)

    Time frame: Initial evaluation of the participant

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Gazi University Hospital, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
    Ankara, 06560, Turkey
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Min JJ, Kwon SS, Sung KH, Lee KM, Chung CY, Park MS. Progression of planovalgus deformity in patients with cerebral palsy. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2020 Mar 3;21(1):141. doi: 10.1186/s12891-020-3149-0. PubMed 32127007 ↗
  • Butler RJ, Hillstrom H, Song J, Richards CJ, Davis IS. Arch height index measurement system: establishment of reliability and normative values. J Am Podiatr Med Assoc. 2008 Mar-Apr;98(2):102-6. doi: 10.7547/0980102. Erratum In: J Am Podiatr Med Assoc. 2008 Jul-Aug;98(4):277. PubMed 18347117 ↗
  • Drefus LC, Kedem P, Mangan SM, Scher DM, Hillstrom HJ. Reliability of the Arch Height Index as a Measure of Foot Structure in Children. Pediatr Phys Ther. 2017 Jan;29(1):83-88. doi: 10.1097/PEP.0000000000000337. PubMed 27984478 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Aug 9, 2024, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT05025007
Lead sponsor
Gazi University
Responsible party
Levent Karataş (Medical Doctor, Principal Investigator, Gazi University) — Principal investigator
First posted
Aug 27, 2021
Start date
Jul 15, 2021
Primary completion
Jul 31, 2024
Completion
Jul 31, 2024
Last update
Aug 9, 2024

Study contacts

Murat Zinnuroğlu, MD
principal investigator · Gazi University Faculty of Medicine
Levent Karataş, MD
principal investigator · Gazi University Faculty of Medicine

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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