Body Posture Asymmetry Differences between Children with Mild Scoliosis and Children with Unilateral Cerebral Palsy

Patients with unilateral cerebral palsy (CP) often have impaired movement coordination, reduced between-limb synchronization, and less weight bearing on the affected side, which can affect the maintenance of an upright weight-bearing position and gait. This study evaluated whether the different postural patterns of children with unilateral CP could be statistically recognized using cluster analysis. Forty-five outpatients with unilateral CP (mean age, 9 years and 5 months) and 51 able-bodied children with mild scoliosis (mean age, 9 years and 2 months) were included. One observer performed moiré topography (MT) examinations using a CQ Electronic System (Poland) device. A weight distribution analysis on the base of support (BOS) between the body sides was performed simultaneously. A force plate dynamographic platform (PDM), ZEBRIS (Germany), with FootPrint software was used for these measurements. Cluster analysis revealed three groups: Cluster 1 (n = 71, 73.96%), Cluster 2 (n = 8, 8.33%), and Cluster 3 (n = 17, 17.71%). Based on the MT parameters (extracted using a data reduction technique), three typical asymmetrical postural patterns were described: (1) the postural pattern of children with mild scoliosis (SCOL), (2) the progravitational postural pattern (PGPP), and (3) the antigravitational pattern. Patterns two and three were identified in children with unilateral CP.