Changes in gait following continuous intrathecal baclofen infusion in ambulant children and young adults with cerebral palsy.

Objective: To assess the effect of continuous intrathecal baclofen infusion (ITB) on gait parameters of ambulant children with cerebral palsy (CP).

Methods: The assessment before and 16 months after ITB on seven children with CP (mean age 15 years, SD 5.4) included: Ashworth scale score, range of motion (hip, knee, ankle), Gillette functional assessment questionnaire (FAQ), joint kinematics, spatiotemporal parameters and Gillette Gait Index (GGI).

Results: Gillette FAQ significantly improved from 6.1 to 7.1. Mean GGI improved from 554.50 to 489.25, which was not significant although the improvement was large for three children. Parameters in the sagittal plane were significantly modified with a significant increase in step length (0.65 m to 0.74 m) and a significant increase in hip extension during stance phase (32.25 degrees to 21.6 degrees ). These results were correlated to clinical assessments.

Conclusion: ITB seems to improve sagittal gait parameters of children and young adults with CP.