The association of pain with gait spatiotemporal parameters in children with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and hypermobility spectrum disorder

Background: Children with hypermobility spectrum disorder/hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (HSD/hEDS) have a high prevalence of chronic pain, which may influence gait dynamics. However, little is known about pain outcomes and their association with gait spatiotemporal parameters in children with HSD/hEDS.

Research question: Does pain correlate with gait spatiotemporal parameters in children with HSD/hEDS?

Methods: Eighteen children with HSD/hEDS and eighteen typically developing (TD) children participated in the study. The current level of pain (0-10 on the numeric rating scale), modified Brief Pain Inventory, and Pain Catastrophizing Scale-Child version were implemented to assess pain in children with HSD/hEDS. All children completed a gait analysis at a self-selected speed. Mean and variability (measured using the coefficient of variation) of gait spatiotemporal parameters were analyzed. Gait parameters included stride length, stride time, gait speed, percent stance time, and step width. A Mann-Whitney U-test was used to compare the gait parameters between children with HSD/hEDS and TD children. Spearman correlations were used to examine the relationships between pain and gait spatiotemporal parameters in children with HSD/hEDS.

Results: Children with HSD/hEDS had a longer percent stance time compared to TD children (p = 0.03). Lower pain interference in relationships with other people was significantly associated with faster gait speeds (ρ = -0.55, p = 0.03). Children with HSD/hEDS also had greater pain interference during mobility (ρ = 0.5, p = 0.05) and going to school (ρ = 0.65, p = 0.01), which were significantly correlated with greater stride length variability. Greater pain interference during enjoyment of life was significantly associated with greater percent stance time variability (ρ = 0.5, p = 0.05). Greater pain catastrophizing was correlated with decreased step width variability in children with HSD/hEDS (ρ = -0.49, p = 0.05).

Significance: Pain interference and catastrophe were significantly associated with gait spatiotemporal variability. Our findings suggest that assessing pain-associated gait alterations may help understand the clinical features and gait kinematics of children with HSD/hEDS.