Changes of calf muscle-tendon properties due to stretching and active movement of children with cerebral palsy--a pilot study.

A portable ankle rehabilitation robot with intelligent stretching and game-based active movement training was used to treat the spastic impaired ankle of children with cerebral palsy over six weeks. The subject's calf muscles and Achilles tendon properties were evaluated before and after treatment using ultrasonography and biomechanical measures. It was found that there were decreased Achilles tendon resting length (2.5%), increased cross-sectional area (5.5%), increased stiffness (22.9%), increased Young's modulus (13.8%), decreased soleus muscle fascicular stiffness (53.7%), and decreased medial gastrocnemius fascicular stiffness (46.1%).