In children & adolescents with neuromuscular disorders, how effective is locomotor gait training in promoting functional outcomes compared to other forms of gait training?

Background/Purpose: This study is meant to analyze research and determine the answer to the question: In children and adolescents with neuromuscular disorders, how effective is locomotor gait training in promoting functional outcomes compared to other forms of gait training? This study will also introduce an adolescent patient who received physical therapy in a pediatric inpatient rehabilitation hospital for neurological complications after a spinal fusion, and discuss his rehabilitation experience and possible interventions for his difficulty with ambulation. Case Description: The patient was a 17 year old male who had a complicated medical history, who presented to a pediatric inpatient rehabilitation clinic in a Halo vest after a spinal fusion from Occiput to T11, with neuromuscular symptoms, difficulty weight-bearing through his lower extremities and difficulty ambulating. Outcomes: Multidisciplinary team at Carrie Tingley Inpatient Hospital filmed the patient while demonstrating ambulation skills and the video was sent to the surgeon in MO to review. Surgeon requested that the patient be transferred back to MO where he could perform a follow-up. Articles were analyzed & reviewed to determine the effectiveness of locomotor gait training on functional ambulation outcomes in children & adolescents with neurological disorders, with positive findings reported. Discussion: Based on the research analyzed, locomotor gait training is very effective in promoting positive functional outcomes in walking ability and ambulation, and can be used independently or in conjunction with over-ground gait training to further improve functional ambulation in patients of any age with neurological disorders. However, more high level research is critically needed to support the effectiveness of locomotor gait training, especially in the pediatric population with neurological disorder