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Skeletal maturation in children with cerebral palsy and its relationship with motor functioning
Mirjam van Eck1, Annet J Dallmeijer, Jeanine M Voorman
1Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. m.vaneck@vumc.nl
Insights
Skeletal age advances in girls with cerebral palsy (CP) during puberty. However, skeletal maturation does not impact gross motor function in children with CP.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Orthopedics
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Cerebral palsy (CP) affects motor function and may influence skeletal development.
- Understanding skeletal maturation in children with CP is crucial for growth and rehabilitation planning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe skeletal maturation relative to chronological age in children with CP (aged 9-16 years).
- To analyze the relationship between skeletal maturation and motor functioning in this population.
Main Methods:
- Hand X-rays (Greulich and Pyle technique) were used to determine skeletal age in 100 children with CP over 3 years.
- Motor functioning was assessed using the Gross Motor Function Measure-66.
Main Results:
- Females with CP showed significantly advanced skeletal age compared to chronological age; males did not.
- No significant differences in skeletal age progression were observed based on sex or ambulation level over 3 years.
- No association was found between changes in skeletal age and changes in gross motor function.
Conclusions:
- Skeletal age is advanced in relation to chronological age during puberty in females with CP.
- Skeletal maturation during puberty does not appear to pose a risk for gross motor function deterioration in children with CP.
Abstract:
The objective of this study was to describe skeletal maturation in relation to chronological age in children with cerebral palsy (CP) aged 9 to 16 years, and to analyze the relationship between skeletal maturation and motor functioning. The skeletal age of 100 children with CP (37 females, 63 males; age 9, 11, or 13 y; 73 ambulant, 27 non-ambulant) was determined over a period of 3 years based on X-rays of the hand (Greulich and Pyle technique). Motor functioning was measured with the Gross Motor Function Measure-66. The skeletal age of females with CP was significantly higher than their chronological age, but this did not apply to males. Longitudinal analysis showed no difference in the course of skeletal age in relation to chronological age over a 3-year period for sex or for level of ambulation. No association was found between changes in skeletal age and changes in gross motor function over the 3-year period. Skeletal age during (pre-)puberty in females with CP is advanced in relation to chronological age. No evidence was found that children with CP are at risk for deterioration in gross motor function as a result of skeletal maturation during puberty.
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