EFFECTS OF UPPER‐EXTREMITY WEIGHT‐BEARING ON HAND‐OPENING AND PREHENSION PATTERNS IN CHILDREN WITH CEREBRAL PALSY

Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine whether upper-extremity weight-bearing has an effect on hand-opening and prehension patterns of children with spastic cerebral palsy. Children at the Bobath Centre (London) were studied. Effectiveness of intervention was determined by blind scoring of video-tapes of prehension components. Computer calculations of hand surface-area were done. There was an over-all increase in surface area, indicating an increased ability to open the hand; in addition, there was an increase in the maturity of movement components of prehension. These results provide relevant information about the application of upper-extremity weight-bearing.

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