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Associations Between Congenital Muscular Torticollis Severity and Physical Therapy Episode
Kathryn C R Knudsen1, Ryan P Jacobson, Sandra L Kaplan
1Providence Children's Development Institute (Ms Knudsen), Portland, Oregon; George Fox University (Dr Jacobson), Newberg, Oregon; Department of Rehabilitation and Movement Sciences (Dr Kaplan), Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey.
Insights
Physical therapy utilization for infants with Congenital Muscular Torticollis (CMT) increases with condition severity. More severe cases (grades 1-3) require more units billed, longer episodes, and more visits.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Physical Therapy
- Musculoskeletal Disorders
- Infant Health
Background:
- Congenital Muscular Torticollis (CMT) is a common condition in infants.
- Understanding physical therapy utilization patterns is crucial for resource allocation and treatment planning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between Congenital Muscular Torticollis severity and physical therapy utilization.
- To analyze how physical therapy service delivery varies across different grades of CMT severity.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective medical record review of 81 infants with CMT over 3 years.
- Analysis of 46 complete care episodes for infants aged 6 months or younger.
- Correlation of physical therapy utilization metrics (units billed, episode duration, visits) with CMT severity grades.
Main Results:
- Physical therapy utilization, including units billed, episode duration, and total visits, increased with CMT severity grades 1 to 3.
- Cervical rotation restriction was positively correlated with total units billed.
- Half of the infants with complete care episodes achieved full resolution of asymmetries.
Conclusions:
- Physical therapy utilization for Congenital Muscular Torticollis is directly associated with condition severity.
- The findings support the use of the 2018 CMT Severity Grading Scale in predicting resource needs.
- Increased severity correlates with higher demands on physical therapy services.
Purpose:
To determine how physical therapy utilization varies with Congenital Muscular Torticollis (CMT) Severity Grading Scale, considering episode of care and clinical practice guidelines.
Methods:
A 3-year retrospective medical record review was conducted. Data were collected for 81 infants receiving physical therapy for CMT. Sample and service characteristics are described; 46 complete records (infants 6 months or younger) were analyzed to determine how physical therapy utilization varied across severity grades.
Results And Conclusions:
Of the 46 infants with complete care episodes, half had fully resolved all asymmetries. Units billed, episode duration, and total visits each increased across CMT severity grades 1 to 3. Cervical rotation restrictions correlated with total units billed, indicating a positive relationship between CMT severity and service utilization.
What This Adds To The Evidence:
This study supports that as CMT severity increases, physical therapy utilization increases for grades 1 to 3 of the 2018 CMT Severity Grading Scale.
