%0 Journal Article %1 Davids1993 %A Davids, J. R. %A Holland, W. C. %A Sutherland, D. H. %D 1993 %J J Pediatr Orthop %K Ankle; Cerebral Palsy; Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Gait; Humans; Male; Movement; Posture; Prospective Studies; Reference Values; Retrospective Studies %N 6 %P 717--721 %T Significance of the confusion test in cerebral palsy. %V 13 %X The confusion test examines ankle dorsiflexion in patients with cerebral palsy. Orthopedists have related this test to swing-phase activity of the tibialis anterior, and have used it as a prerequisite for tendon transfer. To determine the validity of this assumption, ankle dorsiflexion was tested in 47 normal children. Forty-seven percent had a positive, unresisted confusion test, and 97\% had a positive, resisted confusion test. Twenty-three patients with cerebral palsy who had a positive confusion test underwent gait analysis. Tibialis anterior electromyographs showed wide variability. Sagittal-plane ankle-movement curves revealed five patterns. Thirty-three percent of the patients showed abnormal swing-phase dorsiflexion, and 61\% had abnormal swing-phase plantar-flexion. We conclude that the confusion test evaluates a normal, patterned response, and is positive in most children with cerebral palsy. Although a positive confusion test shows that active ankle dorsiflexion is possible, it is not predictive of swing-phase ankle kinematics.

@article{Davids1993, abstract = {The confusion test examines ankle dorsiflexion in patients with cerebral palsy. Orthopedists have related this test to swing-phase activity of the tibialis anterior, and have used it as a prerequisite for tendon transfer. To determine the validity of this assumption, ankle dorsiflexion was tested in 47 normal children. Forty-seven percent had a positive, unresisted confusion test, and 97\% had a positive, resisted confusion test. Twenty-three patients with cerebral palsy who had a positive confusion test underwent gait analysis. Tibialis anterior electromyographs showed wide variability. Sagittal-plane ankle-movement curves revealed five patterns. Thirty-three percent of the patients showed abnormal swing-phase dorsiflexion, and 61\% had abnormal swing-phase plantar-flexion. We conclude that the confusion test evaluates a normal, patterned response, and is positive in most children with cerebral palsy. Although a positive confusion test shows that active ankle dorsiflexion is possible, it is not predictive of swing-phase ankle kinematics.}, added-at = {2014-07-19T19:17:48.000+0200}, author = {Davids, J. R. and Holland, W. C. and Sutherland, D. H.}, biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/24514f2548b5e44fd01b1f006728b12f3/ar0berts}, groups = {public}, interhash = {e37f3fb5a5b7160b51869f32e9a24ab6}, intrahash = {4514f2548b5e44fd01b1f006728b12f3}, journal = {J Pediatr Orthop}, keywords = {Ankle; Cerebral Palsy; Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Gait; Humans; Male; Movement; Posture; Prospective Studies; Reference Values; Retrospective Studies}, number = 6, pages = {717--721}, pmid = {8245194}, timestamp = {2014-07-19T19:17:48.000+0200}, title = {Significance of the confusion test in cerebral palsy.}, username = {ar0berts}, volume = 13, year = 1993 }