Kinematics pattern of knees in the gait of children with Down Syndrome according to age

ABSTRACT Disabilities in the gait motor pattern have been commonly found in individuals with Down Syndrome. This study evaluated the knee angle behavior of children with Down Syndrome for 24 months. The sample comprised 20 male and female children aged between 24 and 83 months. Participants had to walk straight in a speed of preference. We represented the biomechanical model by the external positioning of retroreflective markers in the greater trochanter of the femur, in the knee joint center, and the lateral ankle joint of the right hemibody. For registration and biomechanical analysis, we used two-dimensional kinematics. For data analysis, we used descriptive and comparative analysis of One-Way ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis tests. There were no significant differences in the knee angle values between different ages. The examined children showed regular values for knee maximum flexion at initial contact and knee maximum flexion at the swing phase, and excessive flexion over time.