Effects of inhibitory casts and orthoses on bony alignment of foot and ankle during weight-bearing in children with spasticity.

One theory about the improvements in gait seen in children with CP who use inhibitory casts holds that they are a result of better posture of the foot. To examine this theory, the authors used x-rays to document the position of the foot both before and during inhibitory casting to see whether there were measurable changes in foot posture that could be ascribed to the casts. The bony alignment of the ankle and foot was compared during weight-bearing with the children in and out of inhibitory casts (N = 12), static ankle-foot orthoses (N = 7) and articulated ankle-foot orthoses (N = 8). The only angle change which was significant was calcaneal inclination in the articulated AFOs versus out of the orthoses. There was no significant difference in any of the other angles in any of the groups.