Proposta de uma unidade terapêutica domiciliar baseada no protocolo PediaSuit

Abstract

Introduction: The involvement of certain muscle groups and sensorimotor deficits are some of the characteristics displayed by children with cerebral palsy, making necessary the use of stabilizers and gait trainers to assist posture and gait of those patients. There are assistive technology devices that promote these aspects, but the cost is still quite high, making them inaccessible to most people. In order to present an alternative with lower cost, a PVC stabilizer/ gait trainer based on PediaSuit™ protocol was developed at UTFPR and Vitória Research Center. The support is provided by elastomers fixed to a belt, thereby allowing a more natural gait pattern. Objective: To evaluate the gait and posture of children with cerebral palsy during the use of a low cost/ low mechanization Therapy Unit Homecare. Method: Some tests were carried out to determine the strength of the prototype and the material itself. PVC proved to be a material with high strength in bending and impact tests. The maximum mass supported by the walker in the test conducted was approximately 226 kg. After evaluating the equipment, images of three children using a reguar gait trainer and the PVC home care unit were taken. Aspects of gait and posture were analysed by thirty physiotherapists through these videos. Results: The PVC home care unit showed better results in regarding all aspects of gait evaluated by promoting closer to normal gait. The mechanical strength tests show that PVC Ø32mm is a suitable material for fabrication of assistive technology equipment, to be able to withstand high loads without breaking. The use of this material also provided a significant reduction in the final cost of the product.