[Treatment of equinus with serial casting].

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Orthopedics
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Neuromuscular Disorders

Background:

• Equinus gait in children leads to unsteady movement and poor wheelchair positioning.
• Serial casting is a key treatment for maintaining range of motion and promoting normal motor patterns.
• Optimal protocols for serial casting combined with botulinum toxin require further definition.

Purpose of the Study:

• Characterize children with equinus of various causes.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of serial casting treatment.
• Assess the combined use of serial casting and botulinum toxin in spastic cerebral palsy.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal retrospective study of 95 children treated between 2012-2018.
• Inclusion criteria: ankle dorsal flexion <10°, treated with serial casting +/- botulinum toxin.
• Measurements included range of motion, spasticity, and BMI, analyzed using SPSS®.

Main Results:

• Statistically significant improvement in passive dorsal flexion (10.02°) after serial casting.
• This improvement was maintained at 6.66° after 14 months (P=.02).

Conclusions:

• Serial casting is a highly effective treatment for equinus, regardless of the underlying cause.
• The method demonstrates a low rate of complications.
• Serial casting provides lasting improvements in ankle mobility for pediatric patients.