Idiopathic toe walking is a relatively common developmental condition often 
leading to secondary problems such as pain and muscle contractures in the lower 
extremities. The cause of idiopathic toe walking is unknown, which hinders the 
development of treatment strategies. To test whether children with idiopathic 
toe walking have functional alterations in their spinal motor circuits, we 
studied the properties of the soleus H-reflex and its modulation with vibration 
in 26 idiopathic toe walkers and 16 typically developing children. At the group 
level, the H-reflex properties did not differ, but at the individual level, in 7 
of 25 idiopathic toe walkers, some of the H-reflex parameters fell out of normal 
limits of typically developing children. However, the H-reflex was suppressed by 
vibration to the Achilles tendon similarly in both the idiopathic toe walkers 
and typically developing children. In conclusion, idiopathic toe walking in some 
children can be associated with functional alterations in their spinal motor 
circuits.