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Updated: Jan 25, 2026
Live Imaging of Dorsal Root Axons after Rhizotomy
Published on: September 1, 2011
Australian children undergoing selective dorsal rhizotomy: protocol for a national registry of multidimensional
Jennifer Lewis1, Natasha Bear2, Felicity Baker3
1The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Kids Rehab, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Insights
Selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) helps reduce spasticity in children with cerebral palsy (CP). This study tracks outcomes and adverse events to guide families considering this neurosurgical intervention.
Area of Science:
- Neurosurgery
- Pediatric Neurology
- Rehabilitation Medicine
Background:
- Selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) is a surgical option for reducing lower limb spasticity in children with cerebral palsy (CP).
- Existing evidence on SDR's effectiveness in improving gait, function, and participation is limited, with varying study methodologies complicating clinical guidance.
- There is significant interest in SDR among families, with some seeking the procedure internationally.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish the Australian SDR Research Registry for collecting multidimensional outcomes and adverse event data in Australian children undergoing SDR.
- To enhance understanding of the short-, medium-, and long-term effects of SDR.
- To provide crucial data for clinicians to guide families considering SDR for their children with CP.
Main Methods:
- The Australian SDR Research Registry will collect data for up to 10 years post-surgery.
- Data includes surgical details, admission information, adverse events, and outcomes across ICF domains (body structure/function, activity, participation).
- Data collection points are baseline, inpatient stay, and 1, 2, 5, and 10 years post-surgery.
Main Results:
- This is a pre-results study; no main results are available yet.
- The study aims to capture comprehensive data on the effectiveness and safety of SDR.
- Long-term outcome data will be collected to address current evidence gaps.
Conclusions:
- The Australian SDR Research Registry will provide valuable insights into the outcomes of SDR for children with CP.
- This national registry aims to improve evidence-based decision-making for clinicians and families.
- Dissemination of findings will occur through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.
Introduction:
Selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) is a neurosurgical intervention intended to permanently reduce spasticity in the lower limbs and improve mobility in selected children with cerebral palsy (CP). Despite SDR having been performed worldwide for the past 30 years, there is moderate quality of evidence that SDR is effective in reducing spasticity with low to very low evidence of its effectiveness in improving gait, function and participation, using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) system. Published studies have described outcomes for groups that differ in selection, surgical technique and postoperative rehabilitation making it difficult for clinicians to use this information to advise families on best management. There is substantial community interest in SDR. A small number of children with CP undergo SDR in Australia each year and some families seek the intervention at international sites. Capturing clinical outcomes and adverse event (AE) data for Australian children undergoing SDR will provide clinicians with information to help guide families considering SDR.
Methods And Analysis:
The Australian SDR Research Registry is a national registry of multidimensional outcomes for Australian children undergoing SDR in an Australian or overseas centre. Data will be collected for up to 10 years following the surgery, to include surgery and admission details, surgical and long-term AEs, and outcome measures across the body structure and functions, activity and participation domains of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. Data will be collected at baseline, during inpatient admission and at 1, 2, 5 and 10 years post. The aim of collecting these data is to improve understanding of short-, medium- and long-term outcomes and adverse effects of the intervention.
Ethics And Dissemination:
This study was approved by the individual Human Research and Ethics committees at the five Australian tertiary hospitals involved. Results will be disseminated via peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.
Trial Registration Number:
ACTRN12618000985280; Pre-results.
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