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Lower-extremity strength profiles in spastic cerebral palsy
1Curry School of Education, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, USA.
Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology
|March 7, 1998
Summary
Children with cerebral palsy (CP) exhibit significant lower-extremity weakness and muscle imbalances across joints. This study quantifies this weakness in multiple muscle groups, highlighting its impact on daily mobility.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Orthopedics
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Cerebral palsy (CP) is associated with muscle weakness, but comprehensive documentation across multiple muscle groups and joints is lacking.
- Understanding the patterns of weakness is crucial for targeted interventions in children with CP.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the magnitude and patterns of lower-extremity muscle weakness in children with spastic diplegia and spastic hemiplegia.
- To compare muscle strength across joints in children with CP to age-matched peers.
Main Methods:
- Maximum voluntary contraction of eight lower extremity muscle groups was measured using a hand-held dynamometer.
- Participants included children with spastic diplegia, spastic hemiplegia, and typically developing controls.
Main Results:
- Children with spastic CP showed weakness in all tested lower extremity muscles compared to controls.
- Weakness was more pronounced distally, with altered strength ratios observed in hip flexors and ankle plantarflexors.
- Even the uninvolved side in hemiplegic CP demonstrated strength differences.
Conclusions:
- Children with spastic cerebral palsy have quantifiable lower-extremity weakness.
- Significant muscle imbalances across joints are present in children with spastic CP.
- Findings underscore the need for comprehensive strength assessment and tailored rehabilitation strategies.