Self-perception and participation in physical activity in children with and without DCD: A longitudinal study

McQuillan, Victoria; Swanwick, Ruth; Sugden, David

Abstract

Objective: There is a lack of innovation in affordable prosthetic knee joints for children. One significant reason is the absence of technical requirements which consider the foundation of childhood: growth. This study aims to develop and use a modelling tool to determine the technical requirements throughout childhood growth for one prosthetic knee design feature, a swing phase control mechanism (SPCM).

Methods: 3D gait data of 31 able-bodied children across a range of physical maturities were analyzed. For each participant 2 models were created from a validated paediatric able-bodied musculoskeletal model. The model was first linearly scaled, then a corresponding unilateral right knee-disarticulation amputation model produced by removing segments below the knee and replacing with prosthetic componentry. Long established low-cost prosthetic componentry and a novel polycentric knee were implemented. For each participant, inverse dynamics were conducted and the SPCM torque requirements defined.

Results: Prosthetic knee SPCM torque requirements were significantly less than the able-bodied knee to emulate able-bodied gait at free speed: 17.9% (± 10.2) and 66.3% (± 17.0) reduction in maximum extension and flexion torque, respectively. Maximum knee extension torque showed the strongest negative correlation with intact body mass (ρ = -0.6251) whereas flexion torque showed the strongest correlation with height (ρ = 0.6611). Corresponding linear regression fits produced RMSE of 1.91and 1.73 Nm, respectively. Results were also determined for slow and fast speeds.

Conclusion: The torque requirements of an affordable paediatric prosthetic knee SPCM are defined and found to strongly correlate with parameters of childhood growth (body mass, height, and age).

Significance: Current results recommend low-cost paediatric prosthetic SPCM designs can be tailored to accommodate growth. The creation of musculoskeletal models facilitate multiple future studies.

Citation

McQuillan, V., Swanwick, R., & Sugden, D. (2024). Self-perception and participation in physical activity in children with and without DCD: A longitudinal study. Journal of Motor Learning and Development, 12(S1), S26. https://doi.org/10.1123/jmld.2024-0049

• Journal Article Type: Conference Paper
• Conference Name: International Society of Research and Advocacy for Developmental Coordination Disorder (ISRA-DCD)—15th Biannual Conference and International Motor Development Research Consortium (I-MDRC)—6th Assembly
• Conference Location: Ghent, Belgium
• Acceptance Date: Jan 1, 2024
• Online Publication Date: May 28, 2024
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2024
• Deposit Date: Jul 29, 2024
• Journal: Journal of Motor Learning and Development
• Print ISSN: 2325-3193
• Electronic ISSN: 2325-3215
• Publisher: Human Kinetics
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 12
• Issue: S1
• Article Number: 80
• Pages: S26
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1123/jmld.2024-0049