Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 10, 2026
An Experiment Using Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy and Robot-Assisted Multi-Joint Pointing Movements of the Lower Limb
Published on: June 7, 2024
Lower limb muscle volumes in bilateral spastic cerebral palsy
Jonathan J Noble1, Nicola R Fry2, Andrew P Lewis1
1Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, The Rayne Institute, 4th Floor, Lambeth Wing, St. Thomas' Hospital, London SE1 7EH, United Kingdom.
Aim:
Muscle weakness is a feature of individuals with spastic cerebral palsy (SCP) but there are few reports in the literature of muscle volume in this group. This study compares muscle volumes in adolescents and young adults with SCP with those of their typically developing (TD) peers.
Design:
Measurements of the volumes of nine major lower limb muscles in 19 independently ambulant subjects with SCP (mean age 14.2 years (sd 2.7), 11 male, GMFCS I (n=5); GMFCS II (n=14)), 19 TD subjects (mean age 16.5 years (sd 3.0), 11 male) were made using magnetic resonance imaging.
Results:
Lower limb muscles were smaller in the SCP group (p≤0.023 in all muscles) than the TD group with the exception of the vastii (lateralis+intermedius; p=0.868) and gluteus maximus (p=0.056). Average muscle volume deficit was 27.9%. Muscle volume deficits were significantly greater for distal muscles than proximal muscles (p<0.001).
Conclusions:
Reduced muscle size in adolescence and the natural history of sarcopenia in adulthood may contribute to the early loss of mobility of adults with SCP.
