Effect of Blood Flow Restriction Training on Quadriceps Muscle Architecture and Functional Abilities in Children With Hemiplegia

June 10, 2026 updated by: Eman Kamal Abdelmoteleb, Cairo University

This study was done to investigate the effect of blood flow restriction in the lower limbs on:

Strength of the quadriceps muscle, quadriceps muscle architecture (muscle thickness and pennation angle between muscle fibres), selective motor control of the lower limb in the affected limb, and gait parameters.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Current clinical practice for managing children with cerebral palsy employs various treatments rather than a single approach. Blood flow restriction training, using pneumatic tourniquets to restrict blood flow to limbs, results in hypoxia and increased intramuscular pressure during contractions. Although research on blood flow restriction has expanded, many practitioners lack clarity on its application and safety. Evidence indicates that Blood flow restriction resistance exercise enhances muscle strength and hypertrophy more effectively than low-load resistance exercise alone. This study suggests a multimodal treatment combining Blood flow restriction and strength training could expedite rehabilitation, particularly for children with hemiplegia.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
30

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Egypt
      • Al Mansurah, Egypt
        • outpatient clinics of General Hospitals in Dakahlia governorate.

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Hemiplegic cerebral palsied children.
  • The children age will be ranges from 3-8 years chronologically.
  • The children will have degree of spasticity ranged from 1 to 2 on Modified Ashworth Scale
  • The children will have Level I according to the Gross Motor Function Classification System.
  • All children will be able to follow instructions.

Exclusion Criteria:

children were excluded from the study if they have any problems of the following:

  • Cognitive dysfunction.
  • Recent nonunion fracture.
  • Fixed contractures and deformities.
  • Previous surgery and Impaired circulation of that lower limb.
  • Received Botulinum toxin A injections in the last six months.
  • Children suffers from Peripheral Arterial and venous Diseases in the hemiplegic limb.
  • Children suffering from uncontrolled convulsions.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Active Comparator: selected physical therapy program
Children in the control group will receive the selected physical therapy (PT) program one hour three times weekly for eight successive weeks
Other: the selected physical therapy program
The physical therapy program includes passive stretching exercises for the lower limb to enhance range of motion (ROM) in children with cerebral palsy (CP), transition training from sitting to standing to improve postural control, and core stability exercises to boost trunk endurance and gait. Reactive balance training aims to improve children's postural response organization, while various walking training methods, including treadmill and obstacle walking, focus on enhancing gait speed, balance, and postural stability. Overall, the program is designed to address specific impairments and activity limitations in children with hemiplegic CP.
Experimental: selected physical therapy program and Blood Flow Restriction
This group will receive the selected physical therapy program as group (A) in addition to blood flow restriction on the upper thigh. Training Frequency will be one hour for 2-3 times a week for 8 weeks
Other: the selected physical therapy program
The physical therapy program includes passive stretching exercises for the lower limb to enhance range of motion (ROM) in children with cerebral palsy (CP), transition training from sitting to standing to improve postural control, and core stability exercises to boost trunk endurance and gait. Reactive balance training aims to improve children's postural response organization, while various walking training methods, including treadmill and obstacle walking, focus on enhancing gait speed, balance, and postural stability. Overall, the program is designed to address specific impairments and activity limitations in children with hemiplegic CP.
Other: Blood Flow Restriction training
This group will undergo a physical therapy program incorporating Blood Flow Restriction therapy on the upper thigh. The training will consist of one hour sessions, 2-3 times a week for 8 weeks. The load applied will be 20-40% of One-repetition maximum (1RM), with 5-10 minutes of restriction time per exercise set. Each session will include 4 sets, totaling 75 repetitions (30 × 15 × 15 × 15), along with reperfusion between sets. Pressure application will be 40-80% of arterial occlusion pressure (AOP), with rest periods of 30-60 seconds between sets. The restriction form will be continuous, with an execution speed of 1-2 seconds for each exercise, continuing until the planned repetitions are completed.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Assessment of muscle architecture
Time Frame: at baseline and after 8 weeks
One method to evaluate muscle function and morphology is through skeletal muscle architecture analysis, which examines the geometric arrangement of muscle fibers using non-invasive ultrasound techniques. Key parameters include muscle thickness, which correlates with strength, and pennation angle, which affects force transmission to tendons. Measurements are conducted with participants supine, allowing stabilization, and involve high-quality ultrasound imaging (B-mode) for consistent results. An experienced researcher measures muscle thickness and pennation angle using standardized protocols and software for analysis, ensuring accuracy across assessments.
at baseline and after 8 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Assessment of muscle strength
Time Frame: at baseline and after 8 weeks
The isometric strength of knee extensor muscles will be measured using a handheld dynamometer, with a standardized position. A 'make' test will require participants to exert maximum effort against a constant resistance for 3 to 5 seconds. Children will be positioned with the dynamometer on the anterior tibia, while seated with knees and hips flexed at 90 degrees. Each child will have two practice trials before performing three trials, receiving strong encouragement to maximize force output, which will be recorded. If a participant cannot effectively isolate the muscle group or generate sufficient force, a zero score will be noted.
at baseline and after 8 weeks
Assessment of selective motor control
Time Frame: at baseline and after 8 weeks
The Scale evaluates five reciprocal lower extremity movements: hip flexion-extension, knee flexion-extension, ankle dorsiflexion-plantar flexion, subtalar inversion-eversion, and toe flexion/extension. The hip test is performed in a side-lying position, while the others are conducted in a seated position. Each movement is passively executed by the tester using a three-second verbal cadence. Each limb is assessed separately, focusing on selective joint movement and avoiding extraneous motions. Movements are scored on a scale of 0-2: 2 (Normal) for complete movements within the cadence, 1 (Impaired) for partial isolated movements or deviations, and 0 (Unable) for lack of movement initiation. The total score per limb can reach a maximum of 10.
at baseline and after 8 weeks
Assessment of gait
Time Frame: at baseline and after 8 weeks
The observational gait scale will be used to analyze typical walk viewed on split-screen video in slow motion. The children will be instructed to walk, and videos will be taken from the side. Children will be videotaped, six sections will be tested to evaluate knee and ankle kinematics (Knee position in mid stance, Initial foot contact, Foot contact at mid stance, Base of support, Gait assistive devices, degree of change) with a total score of 22 on each limb.
at baseline and after 8 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Cairo University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
October 5, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 1, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 20, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
June 10, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 10, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
June 15, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
June 15, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 10, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • Ibrahim-Msc

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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