Mode of Anesthesia and Bladder Management Following Orthopaedic Surgery in Children With Cerebral Palsy: A System Level Analysis.

Background: Postoperative urinary retention (POUR) is a surgical complication more prevalent in children with neurodisability and associated with an increase length of hospitalization. Risk factors include pre-existing bladder dysfunction, type and duration of surgery, anesthesia medications, postoperative opioid pain management, and patient demographics. The purpose of this investigation was (1) to determine the frequency of POUR following hip/lower limb orthopaedic procedures in which epidural analgesia was used for pain management; (2) to explore factors influencing postoperative bladder management.

Using 3-Dimensional Motion Analysis to Optimize Treatment Planning for a Patient With Dropfoot: Case Report.

Objective: This study demonstrated the use of computerized motion analysis to assist in evidence-based clinical decision-making.

Case Description: A 15-year-old girl who had right hemiparesis after a stroke was referred for 3-dimensional computerized motion analysis to determine the effect of 3 devices intended to control her dropfoot and to assist in developing a treatment plan. Four conditions were tested and compared: barefoot, lateral support ankle brace, functional electrical stimulation (FES) device, and dropfoot cuff.

Calf lengthening may improve knee recurvatum in specific children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy.

Purpose: Knee hyperextension in stance is a difficult condition to treat in children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy (CP). In children with passive knee hyperextension, the presence of contracture or spasticity of the calf leads to knee hyperextension in stance phase. We hypothesize surgical treatment of the contracture of the calf will lead to less knee hyperextension.

Knee Recurvatum in Children With Spastic Diplegic Cerebral Palsy.

Background: The purpose of this study is to determine which factors drive patients with diplegic cerebral palsy to walk without knee recurvatum despite hyperextension of the knee on physical examination.

Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of all data collected in the Gait Analysis Laboratory between 1999 and 2014. Patients with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy and at least 5 degrees of knee extension on clinical examination were identified for the study.

Single-Event Multilevel Surgery to Correct Movement Disorders in Children with Cerebral Palsy.

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a common motor disability that may be congenital or acquired. Children with CP often have gait, balance, and posture abnormalities, some of which may be severe enough to interfere with safe ambulation or other activities of daily living. Nonsurgical and surgical interventions are part of the management plan for children with CP.

A degradation fragment of type X collagen is a real-time marker for bone growth velocity.

Despite its importance as a key parameter of child health and development, growth velocity is difficult to determine in real time because skeletal growth is slow and clinical tools to accurately detect very small increments of growth do not exist. We report discovery of a marker for skeletal growth in infants and children. The intact trimeric noncollagenous 1 (NC1) domain of type X collagen, the marker we designated as CXM for Collagen X Marker, is a degradation by-product of endochondral ossification that is released into the circulation in proportion to overall growth plate activity.

The Influence of the Unaffected Hip on Gait Kinematics in Patients With Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy.

Background: Hemiplegic cerebral palsy (HCP) patients have transverse-plane gait deviations that may include the "uninvolved" side. The aim of this study is to quantify the static rotational profile, the dynamic position during gait and determine whether any correlations between the involved and uninvolved side exist.

Methods: A total of 171 subjects that met the inclusion criteria of HCP and no prior history of bony surgery were reviewed.

Comparison of Rectus Femoris Transfer Surgery Done Concomitant With Hamstring Lengthening or Delayed in Patients With Cerebral Palsy.

Background: Children with spastic cerebral palsy frequently develop stiff knee gait. A common treatment of flexed knee gait is lengthening of the hamstring tendons. It has been shown that minimum knee extension improves after hamstring surgeries.

Safety and Efficacy of Botulinum Toxin A in Children Undergoing Lower Limb Lengthening and Deformity Correction: Results of a Double-blind, Multicenter, Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Lengthening of the lower limb is a complex procedure in which pain management and complications such as pin-site infections and muscle contractures impact the family and affect the child's quality of life. As a result, the paralytic and antinociceptive actions of neurotoxins may be indicated in managing these complications; however, few studies have explored ways to improve outcomes after lengthenings. The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of botulinum toxin A (BTX-A) in children undergoing lower limb lengthenings and deformity correction.

Comparison of hamstring transfer with hamstring lengthening in ambulatory children with cerebral palsy: further follow-up.

Background: Overactivity or contractures of the hamstring muscles in ambulatory children with cerebral palsy (CP) can lead to either a jump gait (knee flexion associated with ankle plantar flexion) or a crouch gait (knee flexion associated with ankle dorsiflexion). Hamstring lengthening is performed to decrease stance knee flexion. However, this procedure carries the potential risk of weakening hip extension power as well as recurrence over time; therefore, surgeons have adopted a modified procedure wherein the semitendinosus and gracilis are transferred above the knee joint, along with lengthening of the semimembranosus and biceps femoris.

Gait patterns in children with limb length discrepancy.

Background: Very few articles describe the compensations in gait caused by limb-length discrepancy (LLD). Song and colleagues explored kinematic and kinetic variables utilizing work equalization as a marker of successful compensation for LLD. They found no difference in strategies based on the location of pathology.

Motion of the center of mass in children with spastic hemiplegia: balance, energy transfer, and work performed by the affected leg vs. the unaffected leg.

Asymmetry between limbs in people with spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy (HEMI) adversely affects limb coordination and energy generation and consumption. This study compared how the affected leg and the unaffected leg of children with HEMI would differ based on which leg trails. Full-body gait analysis data and force-plate data were analyzed for 31 children (11.

Comparison of hamstring lengthening with hamstring lengthening plus transfer for the treatment of flexed knee gait in ambulatory patients with cerebral palsy.

Purpose: Children with spastic diplegic and hemiplegic cerebral palsy frequently ambulate with flexed knee gait. There has been concern that hamstring lengthening used to treat this problem may weaken hip extension. This study evaluates the primary outcome of hamstring transfer plus lengthening in comparison with traditional hamstring lengthening in treating flexed knee gait in ambulatory patients with cerebral palsy.

A comparison of the changes in the energy cost of walking between children with cerebral palsy and able-bodied peers over one year.

For ambulatory children with cerebral palsy, the assessment of walking energy efficiency is utilized to determine functional changes following surgical, pharmacologic, or orthotic interventions. While the assessment of energy efficiency is considered a useful outcome tool, minimal information exists about the changes in energy efficiency over one year in children with cerebral palsy at different gross motor function classification system (GMFCS) levels and whether the patterns of change are similar to their able-bodied peers. The purpose of this study was to determine whether energy efficiency variables change similarly over one year in children with cerebral palsy by GMFCS level and whether they differ from their age-matched peers.

Coronal plane knee moments improve after correcting external tibial torsion in patients with cerebral palsy.

Background: External tibial torsion causes an abnormal axis of joint motion relative to the line of progression with resultant abnormal coronal plane knee moments and affects lever arm function of the foot in power generation at the ankle. However, it is unclear whether surgical correction of the tibial torsion corrects the moments and power.

Questions/purposes: We evaluated whether surgical correction of external tibial torsion in patients with cerebral palsy would correct the abnormal coronal plane knee moments and improve ankle power generation.

Varus derotation osteotomy for the treatment of hip subluxation and dislocation in GMFCS level III to V patients with unilateral hip involvement. Follow-up at skeletal maturity.

Purpose: Hip displacement is common in children with cerebral palsy (CP). The risk of hip displacement is related to gross motor function level as graded with the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS). Most clinicians agree that surgical treatment is indicated for progressive hip subluxation in patients with CP.

Variability and minimum detectable change for walking energy efficiency variables in children with cerebral palsy.

For individuals with neuromuscular disorders, the assessment of walking energy efficiency is useful as a clinical outcome measure. Issues surrounding data collection methodology, normalization of the data, and variability and clinical utility of energy efficiency data preclude universal application. This study examined the variability and the clinical utility of velocity, energy efficiency index (EEI), gross cost, and net nondimensional cost (NNcost) in children and adolescents with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy (CP) in Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels I to III.

Botulinum toxin type A injection in alleviating postoperative pain and improving quality of life in lower extremity limb lengthening and deformity correction: a pilot study.

Background: The Ilizarov technique is commonly used for lengthening and deformity corrections of the lower limbs in children. Postoperative pain can be significant, affecting quality of life and functional mobility, and often requiring prolonged medication use. Several studies have investigated the antinociceptive actions of botulinum toxin type A (BtX-A), yet evidence for its use in this population is limited.

Iliopsoas tenotomy at the lesser trochanter versus at the pelvic brim in ambulatory children with cerebral palsy.

Background: Progressive hip flexion deformity is a common problem in ambulatory children with spastic cerebral palsy, causing static and dynamic deformity. The iliopsoas muscle is recognized as a major deforming force in the development of this problem. Many clinicians address this problem by lengthening the iliopsoas, either in an intramuscular location at the pelvic brim or by complete tenotomy at the lesser trochanter.

Walking energy expenditure in able-bodied individuals: a comparison of common measures of energy efficiency.

Assessment of walking energy efficiency is potentially useful for objectively quantifying gait efficiency; however, issues regarding methodology, day-to-day variability, inter subject variability (age and size differences) and clinical relevance prevents the assessment of walking energy efficiency from being used as a standard assessment tool. Volume of oxygen (VO(2)) and heart rate were assessed to determine the intra-subject (day-to-day) variability, the impact of age and body parameters and the clinical relevance of gross cost, Net non-dimensional Cost (NNcost) and Energy Efficiency Index (EEI) in able-bodied individuals. Gross cost demonstrated the least amount of day-to-day variability, in comparison to NNcost and EEI.

Safety and efficacy of botox injection in alleviating post-operative pain and improving quality of life in lower extremity limb lengthening and deformity correction.

Background: Distraction osteogenesis is the standard treatment for the management of lower limb length discrepancy of more than 3 cm and bone loss secondary to congenital anomalies, trauma or infection. This technique consists of an osteotomy of the bone to be lengthened, application of an external fixator, followed by gradual and controlled distraction of the bone ends. Although limb lengthening using the Ilizarov distraction osteogenesis principle yields excellent results in most cases, the technique has numerous problems and is not well tolerated by many children.

Comparison of rectus femoris transposition with traditional transfer for treatment of stiff knee gait in patients with cerebral palsy.

Purpose: To assess the outcome of children with cerebral palsy following reposition of the distal rectus femoris tendon for treatment of stiff knee gait.

Methods: Children with cerebral palsy with stiff knee gait who underwent rectus femoris transfer were studied retrospectively. Inclusion criteria were cerebral palsy of diplegic or quadriplegic type, preoperative and 1 year postoperative three-dimensional motion analysis, and no other surgery except rectus femoris transfer at the time of study.

Outcome of patients after Achilles tendon lengthening for treatment of idiopathic toe walking.

Fifteen children who were diagnosed with idiopathic toe walking that cannot be corrected by nonoperative treatment were assessed by clinical examination and computer-based gait analysis preoperatively and approximately 1 year after Achilles tendon lengthening. Passive dorsiflexion improved from a mean plantarflexion contracture of 8 degrees to dorsiflexion of 12 degrees after surgery. Ankle kinematics normalized, with mean ankle dorsiflexion in stance improving from -8 to 12 degrees and maximum swing phase dorsiflexion improving from -20 to 2 degrees.