Conservative management of cerebral palsy in the growing child

Judicial use of long leg walking casts in the treatment of mild to moderate cerebral palsy involving the lower extremities has been adequate to control contractures throughout growth in a majority of our patients. Surgery has been performed on the patients who have not been controlled by casting alone. The use of corrective casts has given us a means of measuring the magnitude of spasticity in each individual and has helped in the selection of the proper surgical procedure for maximum benefit to the patient. Only if we cannot stretch the muscle with casting do we surgically lengthen it.