Étude pilote rétrospective de l'indice SPARC pour quantifier la fluidité de la marche chez l'enfant atteint de paralysie cérébrale spastique unilatérale

Introduction : The Spectral Arc Length (SPARC) index is a recently developed metric used to assess movement smoothness. Spasticity is a common symptom in children with unilateral spastic cerebral palsy (USCP) and often impairs gait. Clinical assessment of movement smoothness remains largely subjective. The SPARC index could provide an objective alternative to evaluate gait in children with USCP. This retrospective pilot study aimed to investigate whether the SPARC index can detect a variation in gait smoothness between the affected and unaffected sides in children with USCP. Method : Twenty children aged 7 to 12 years with USCP and spasticity of the triceps surae were included. Gait data were collected at the CHU Brest gait laboratory. SPARC values were extracted on both sides. Spasticity was assessed using the modified Ashworth Scale. A paired Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare SPARC values between the two sides. Results : A significant difference in SPARC values was observed between the two sides (p<0.001), with lower SPARC values on the unaffected side, suggesting smoother gait on the affected side. Conclusion : The SPARC index appears to be a promising tool for objectively quantifying gait smoothness in children with USCP. However, further studies with larger samples are needed to confirm its sensitivity to varying levels of spasticity. ; Introduction : L’indice SPARC (Spectral Arc Length) est un outil récemment développé pour évaluer la fluidité d’un mouvement. La spasticité est un symptôme fréquent chez les enfants atteints de paralysie cérébrale spastique unilatérale (PCSU) et altère souvent la fluidité de la marche. L’évaluation clinique de la fluidité des mouvements reste largement subjective. L’indice SPARC pourrait offrir une alternative objective pour évaluer la fluidité de la marche des enfants PCSU. Cette étude pilote rétrospective visait à déterminer si l’indice SPARC peut détecter une variation de fluidité de la marche entre le côté atteint et le côté non atteint chez des enfants ...