Mullika Santayayon. Angular profile of lower extremity in Bangkokian children aged 3 to 7 years. Master's Degree(Physical Therapy ). Mahidol University. : Mahidol University, 2008.
Angular profile of lower extremity in Bangkokian children aged 3 to 7 years
Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to determine the average tibiofemoral angle (TFA) and tibiocalcaneal angle (TCA), their correlations across age, and between these angles by using photographic analysis in typical Bangkokian children aged 3 to 7 years. Sixty nine children (36 girls and 33 boys) were randomly selected from 8 kindergarten and primary schools in Bangkok that were under the office of the basic education commission. The children were divided into 5 age groups. The subject was asked to stand with hips in neutral position and with knees fully extended. The patella faced forward. The medial malleoli or the knees of each leg were contact with each other. The feet were placed flat on the platform within the outline of standard foot position. The researcher attached the twenty adhesive circular flat markers on both legs of the subject. The subject was asked to stand still for 5 seconds at a time. The researcher took two pictures each for anterior, lateral, and posterior views. The images recorded by digital camera were printed out to determine these angles.
The average TFA in frontal and sagittal plane tended to increase the angle approaching zero. The TFA in frontal plane for all age groups showed negative values indicating valgus angles (i.e., knock knees). The TFA in sagittal plane for all age groups showed variations of angle within the age group. In each age group, the TFA values were positive, zero, and negative. This indicated that children at the same age group showed knee flexion, knee straight, and knee hyperextension. At the age of 3 years, however, children showed only negative values. The TCA for all age groups showed negative values indicating ankle eversion. The mean of the TCA from 3 to 7 age groups tended to decrease the eversion angle. Moreover, the correlations of all angles by age, TFA in frontal and sagittal plane, and the TFA and TCA were poor and were not statistically significant (p>0.05) except the TFA in frontal plane by age, which had a poor correlation and was statistically significant (p<0.05).
The present study provided the preliminary data of the TFA and the TCA in typical Bangkokian children. This might be a guideline in assessing children.