Lower-Extremity Surgery for Children with Cerebral Palsy: Physical Therapy Management

The aim of the work is to increase the effectiveness of physical therapy of motor impairments in children with spastic form of cerebral palsy by applying a program of therapeutic training on the device developed for rehabilitation of people with musculoskeletal disorders. Materials and methods. 30 children aged 6 to 11 years with cerebral palsy-associated spastic diplegia were included in the study. Patients were divided into 2 groups. In addition to the standard rehabilitation program, all patients were prescribed therapeutic gait training using a device for rehabilitation of people with musculoskeletal disorders: group I (n = 14) – according to the dynamic method; group II (n = 16) – by static method. The spatiotemporal characteristics of gait, activity daily indicators, the level of spasticity of lower extremity muscles, functional characteristics of gait, and the methods of mathematical statistics were studied. Results. The implementation of the elaborated program of therapeutic exercises using a device for rehabilitation of people with musculoskeletal disorders had a positive effect on the level of muscle spasticity of the lower extremity, stride length, walking speed, general endurance. It also improved balance and reduced the risk of falling in children with cerebral palsy. Conclusions. The application of the elaborated therapeutic program had a positive effect on the spatiotemporal characteristics of walking, balance and functional condition of children with cerebral palsy, as well as reduced the level of spasticity. The increase in the stride length occurs during the first 4 weeks of training, and functional condition indicators showed the greatest dynamics only after 6 weeks of training. The elaboration of the rehabilitation device with the ability to move and apply the technique of exercising with partially unstable pelvic support by the abductor-lift moving along the vertical axis, positively affected the balance and reduced the risk of falling.

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Correlation between the Korean Version of the Trunk Control Measurement Scale and the Selective Control Assessment of the Lower Extremity Scores in Children with Cerebral Palsy

Medicina ◽

10.3390/medicina57070687 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 57 (7) ◽

pp. 687

Author(s):

Misoo Lim ◽

Haneul Lee ◽

Hyoungwon Lim

Keyword(s):

Cerebral Palsy ◽

Motor Control ◽

Lower Extremity ◽

Measurement Scale ◽

Trunk Control ◽

Control Measurement ◽

Korean Version ◽

Sitting Balance ◽

Children With Cerebral Palsy ◽

Balance Ability

Background and Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between the Korean version of the trunk control measurement scale (K-TCMS) and the selective control assessment of the lower extremity (SCALE). Through this, we tried to find out the effect of proximal stabilization on distal motor development. Materials and Methods: Fifty-one children with gross motor function classification system level I–III, diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CP), were studied. The K-TCMS was used to evaluate the body control ability of the children. SCALE was used to quantify selective voluntary motor control (SVMC). Results: Analysis of SCALE and K-TCMS showed a significant positive correlation in all items. Multiple regression analysis showed that the SCALE score decreased as age increased, and that it increased as the static sitting balance ability score and the dynamic sitting balance ability score of the K-TCMS increased significantly (p < 0.05). Conclusions: In children with cerebral palsy, there was a close correlation between trunk control and selective voluntary motor control of the lower extremities. Therefore, when trying to improve the lower extremity function of a child with cerebral palsy, a trunk control intervention should be considered.

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