Daniella Lins Neves

Most frequent gait patterns in diplegic spastic cerebral palsy

OBJECTIVE: To identify gait patterns in a large group of children with diplegic cerebral palsy and to characterize each group according to age, Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) level, Gait Deviation Index (GDI) and previous surgical procedures. METHODS: One thousand eight hundred and five patients were divided in seven groups regarding observed gait patterns: jump knee, crouch knee, recurvatum knee, stiff knee, asymmetric, mixed and non-classified. RESULTS: The asymmetric group was the most prevalent (48.8%). The jump knee (9.6 years old) and recurvatum (9.4 years old) groups had mean age lower than the other groups. The lowest GDI (43.58) was found in the crouch group. There were more children classified within GMFCS level III in the crouch and mixed groups. Previous surgical procedures on the triceps surae were more frequent in stiff knee and mixed groups. The jump knee group received less and the stiff-knee group more surgical procedures at hamstrings than others. CONCLUSIONS: The asymmetrical cases were the most frequent within a group of diplegic patients. Individuals with crouch gait pattern were characterized by the lowest GDI and the highest prevalence of GMFCS III, while patients with stiff knee exhibited a higher percentage of previous hamstring lengthening in comparison to the other groups. Level of Evidence III, Retrospective Comparative Study.

The increase of anterior pelvic tilt after crouch gait treatment in patients with cerebral palsy

BACKGROUND The increase of anterior pelvic tilt (APT) has been described after the treatment of crouch gait in cerebral palsy (CP). The ideal treatment option for flexed knee gait in CP should provide knee extension improvement in the stance phase without generating the increase of APT. RESEARCH QUESTION The purpose of this study was to compare three different approaches used for the treatment of crouch gait in CP [distal femur extension osteotomy (DFEO), patellar tendon shortening (PTS) and the combination of DFEO +PTS] regarding the increase of APT after the interventions. METHODS The inclusion criteria were: (1) diagnosis of spastic diplegic CP, (2) GMFCS levels I-III, (3) patients who underwent DFEO and/or PTS and (4) with complete documentation in the gait laboratory before and after the intervention. The included patients were divided into 3 groups, according to the procedures performed for crouch gait treatment: PTS (19 patients), DFEO (54 patients) and PTS + DFEO (22 patients). RESULTS During stance phase, knee flexion decreased from 41.60 to 13.60 in the PTS group (p < 0.001), from 46.00 to 30.70 in the DFEO group (p < 0.001) and from 52.30 to 29.50 in the PTS + DFEO group (p < 0.001). APT increased 140 (p < 0.001) in the PTS group, 7.1° (p < 0.001) in the DFEO group and 6.60 (p < 0.001) in the PTS + DFEO group after surgical intervention. The PTS group presented a more significant deterioration of pelvic tilt than the DFEO (p = 0.002) and PTS + DFEO (p = 0.001) groups. The increase of APT was higher when HSL was also performed in the PTS + DFEO group (p = 0.016). SIGNIFICANCE The increase of APT was observed in all studied groups, but it was more significant for those who underwent a PTS. The inclusion of HSL in the surgical plan was related a higher increase of APT in the PTS + DFEO group.

The effect of the Majestro-Frost procedure on internal hip rotation during gait in patients with cerebral palsy

BACKGROUND Muscle imbalance is related to persistent internal hip rotation (IHR) after femoral derotation osteotomy (FDO) in cerebral palsy (CP). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the Majestro-Frost soft tissue procedure (MFP), which potentially addresses muscle imbalance, on IHR in CP patients during walking. METHODS A retrospective study of an existing database (medical records and gait laboratory data) was conducted and a search was performed using the following inclusion criteria: (1) diagnosis of spastic CP, (2) GMFCS levels I-III; (3) mean IHR during stance phase higher than 11° at baseline; (4) individuals who received single event multilevel orthopedic surgery in the lower limbs and had three-dimensional gait analyses (3DGA) before and after the intervention. Patients who underwent a FDO were excluded. Eighty-three individuals were considered for the study and they were divided into two groups: No MFP (45 patients who did not receive a MFP) and MFP (36 patients who underwent a MFP). A full clinical examination and 3DGA, with kinematics calculated according to a standard software procedure (Plugin Gait), were performed before and after the intervention, and the results were compared. RESULTS The studied groups matched regarding demographic data and GMFCS distribution. The mean follow-up time was more than 20 months on both groups. The increase of clinical external hip rotation (EHR) on physical examination was observed only in the MFP group (from 26.4° to 33°, p = 0.002). During gait analysis, IHR decreased from 21.2° to 4.5° in the MFP group (p < 0.001) and from 16.9° to 7.9° in the No MFP group (p < 0.001). The reduction of IHR during gait was more significant in the MFP group (p = 0.001). SIGNIFICANCE In the present study, patients who underwent a MFP showed more reduction of IHR during gait than those which did not undergo a MFP.

DOES RECTUS FEMORIS TRANSFER INCREASE KNEE FLEXION DURING STANCE PHASE IN CEREBRAL PALSY

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate whether distal rectus femoris transfer (DRFT) is related to postoperative increase of knee flexion during the stance phase in cerebral palsy (CP). Methods: The inclusion criteria were Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels I-III, kinematic criteria for stiff-knee gait at baseline, and individuals who underwent orthopaedic surgery and had gait analyses performed before and after intervention. The patients included were divided into the following two groups: NO-DRFT (133 patients), which included patients who underwent orthopaedic surgery without DRFT, and DRFT (83 patients), which included patients who underwent orthopaedic surgery that included DRFT. The primary outcome was to evaluate in each group if minimum knee flexion in stance phase (FMJFA) changed after treatment. Results: The mean FMJFA increased from 13.19° to 16.74° (p=0.003) and from 10.60° to 14.80° (p=0.001) in Groups NO-DRFT and DRFT, respectively. The post-operative FMJFA was similar between groups NO-DRFT and DRFT (p=0.534). The increase of FMJFA during the second exam (from 13.01° to 22.51°) was higher among the GMFCS III patients in the DRFT group (p<0.001). Conclusion: In this study, DRFT did not generate additional increase of knee flexion during stance phase when compared to the control group. Level of Evidence III, Retrospective Comparative Study.

Tratamento da subluxação e luxação do quadril na paralisia cerebral em pacientes tetraparéticos espásticos, nível motor V, através datenotomia de adutores e psoas

Objective: To assess if adductor and psoas release is effective in prevent hip displacement in quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy pacients, Gross motor V. Methods: A retrospective study with 26 patients who had psoas and adductor release was analyzed. Reimers Index before and after surgery was analysed. We divided the patients into two groups: surgery made in patients above five yars and after five years of age. Results: With a follow up of seven years, most of the patients of both groups had Reimers Index controlled by the surgery proposed. Conclusion: Adductor and psoas release was effective in controlled hip displacement in quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy patients, Gross Motor V. The age at the time of the surgery does not influence in the result.Reimers Index up to 70% and asymmetric hip not had good results.

TREATMENT OF PARALYTIC HIP DISLOCATION AMONG SPASTIC QUADRIPLEGIC CEREBRAL PALSY PATIENTS BY MEANS OF FEMORAL AND PELVIC OSTEOTOMY, WITHOUT OPENING THE JOINT CAPSULE (CAPSULOPLASTY).

Objectives: To show the preoperative planning and results from surgical treatment for paralytic hip dislocation among patients with cerebral palsy. The techniques used were proximal femoral varus derotation osteotomy in association with Dega iliac osteotomy, without opening the joint capsule. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of ten hips in eight patients with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy who underwent surgical treatment between 2003 and 2005, with the same surgical technique. The pre and postoperative clinical and radiological parameters, and the preoperative planning using an image intensifier, were assessed. The clinical parameters analyzed were: pain, hygiene-related difficulties and positioning difficulties. The radiological parameters were Reimers index, the acetabular index and the neck-shaft angle. These results were subjected to statistical analysis. Results: We obtained good results with this technique. After a mean follow-up of three years, all the hips were observed to be stable at the last assessment, and there was a high degree of satisfaction among the families in relation to the treatment. We also showed that preoperative planning using an image intensifier allowed us to reduce and stabilize these hips without the need for capsuloplasty. Conclusion: The authors conclude that in treating hip dislocation among spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy patients, capsuloplasty is unnecessary for stabilizing the coxofemoral joint.