Multi-joint gait clustering for children and youth with diplegic cerebral palsy.
Gregor KuntzeAlberto Nettel-AguirreGina UrsulakIon RobuNicole BowalSimon GoldsteinCarolyn A EmeryPublished in: PloS one (2018)
K-means clustering enabled the determination of up to four kinematic clusters of individuals with spastic diplegic CP using multi-joint angles without a priori data reduction. A cluster boundary effect was demonstrated by the Silhouette value, where data with values approaching zero were more likely to change cluster allocation. Exploratory analyses using SPM revealed significant differences across joints and between clusters indicating the formation of clinically meaningful clusters. Further work is needed to determine the effects of including further topographical classifications of CP, additional biomechanical data, and the sensitivity to clinical interventions to assess the potential for informing clinical decision-making.