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Published on: January 12, 2019
Gross Motor Function Classification System and outcome tools for assessing ambulatory cerebral palsy: a multicenter
D J Oeffinger1, C M Tylkowski, M K Rayens
1Shriners Hospitals for Children, Lexington, KY, USA. doeffinger@shrinenet.org
Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology
|May 11, 2004
Summary
The Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) effectively differentiates ambulatory cerebral palsy severity. Specific measures like the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) accurately predict a child's GMFCS level.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Rehabilitation
- Neurology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Ambulatory cerebral palsy (CP) severity varies widely.
- Standardized classification is crucial for research and clinical practice.
- The Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) is a widely used severity scale.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between GMFCS levels and various pediatric outcome instruments.
- To determine the predictive accuracy of specific outcome measures for GMFCS levels.
- To validate the utility of GMFCS in clinical studies.
Main Methods:
- Data collected from six sites on GMFCS levels I, II, and III.
- Utilized Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM), Pediatric Orthopaedic Data Collection Instrument (PODCI), gait parameters, and oxygen cost.
- Sample sizes ranged from 226 to 1047 participants for different assessments.
Main Results:
- Significant differences were found among GMFCS levels I, II, and III across multiple outcome tools.
- Strong correlations observed between GMFCS levels and GMFM sections D & E, PODCI measures, gait velocity, and oxygen cost.
- GMFM section E score accurately predicted GMFCS level (76.6% accuracy).
Conclusions:
- Assessed outcome tools effectively distinguish between children with different GMFCS levels.
- GMFM section E score is a significant predictor of GMFCS level.
- The GMFCS is justified as a classification system for clinical studies involving ambulatory CP.
