The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of muscle-release surgery for children with cerebral palsy (CP) using longitudinal and stratified analysis. Twenty-five children with CP (15 females, 10 males; age range 4 to 16 years; mean age 8 years 2 months, SD 3 years 2 months) were selected from five treatment centres in Japan. Twenty-two children had spastic diplegia, two had spastic quadriplegia, and one had athetospastic quadriplegia. Motor function for each child was assessed using the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM). Assessment was conducted on eight separate occasions: 1 month and 1 week before surgery, and 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, and 12 months after surgery. Participants' motor function before surgery was classified using the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS). Six children were classified at level I, three at level II, six at level III, and 10 at level IV. A significant difference was found after surgery in the GMFCS levels III and IV groups (p<0.05). Improvement in GMFM scores between 1 week before surgery and 12 months after surgery were 1, 5, 8.5, and 8.5 for GMFCS levels I to IV respectively. Results indicate that this treatment is advantageous for improving motor function in children within GMFCS levels III and IV.

Peak mobility function and mobility decline occurred at a younger age in GMFCS level III, with the cause of mobility decline differing by GMFCS level.

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to quantify the resistance to passive movement by measuring changes in muscle-tendon length and joint range of motion (ROM), before and after applying a standardized 5-kilogram tension force, and to correlate and compare these changes to muscle tone. [Subjects and Methods] Children with cerebral palsy (n=29) and typically developed children (n=12) participated in this observational study. The modified Ashworth scale (MAS) was used to assess tone in the right plantarflexor muscle. An ultrasound-imaging device was used to measure Δmuscle-tendon length in the right medial gastrocnemius muscle, and a goniometer was used to measure right ankle ΔROM. [Results] Compared with the MAS, the results showed that ΔROM had the highest construct validity (convergent and discriminant) followed by Δmuscle-tendon unit length. Therefore, these parameters may be better alternatives to the MAS for the quantitative assessment of resistance to passive movement in patients with increased tone. [Conclusion] This study demonstrated that measuring the change in the passive properties of the muscle-tendon unit, as well as the corresponding change in ROM, might provide better options for assessing resistance to passive movement or muscle tone.

Postoperative long-term follow-up survey in patients with p-TCS indicated significant improvement of urological symptoms. However, 55% of patients had some lower urinary tract dysfunction that affected their activities in daily life.

BackgroundIt has already been more than 50 years since the Pavlik harness was introduced in Japan, and today the Pavlik harness is widely recognized as the standard initial treatment modality for developmental dysplasia of the hip. We performed a multicenter nationwide questionnaire study concerning the results of Pavlik harness treatment twice in 1994 and 2008.MethodsIn 1994 and in 2008, we sent questionnaires to 12 institutes in Japan specializing mainly in pediatric orthopedics. We compare the results of these two studies and discuss differences in reduction rates, incidence of avascular necrosis in the femoral epiphysis and the percentage of joints with acceptable morphology (Severin grade I + II/total) at skeletal maturity. We statistically assessed these results to see whether there were changes in the treatment outcomes over this 14-year period.ResultsReduction of the dislocated hips was obtained by the Pavlik harness in 80.2 % (1990/2481 hips; 1994) and 81.9 % (1248/1523 hips; 2008). The incidences of avascular necrosis of the proximal femoral epiphysis in the dysplastic hips were 14.3 % (119/835 hips; 1994) and 11.5 % (76/663 hips; 2008). The type of avascular necrosis in hips from the 2008 study was determined according to the classification of Kalamchi and MacEwen: 24/69 hips (34.8 %) were classified as group I; 20/69 hips (29.0 %) as group II; 11/69 hips (15.9 %) as group Ill; 14/69 hips (20.3 %) as group IV. The percentages of hips with acceptable outcomes at skeletal maturity discerned from Severin X-ray changes (grade I + II/total) were 72.3 % (604/835 hips; 1994) and 77.7 % (488/628 hips; 2008).ConclusionReduction rates and the incidence of avascular necrosis in 2008 were statistically similar to the results in 1994. The rate of acceptable outcome (Severin grade I + II/total) in 2008 was statistically higher than that of 1994.

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We investigated the characteristics of low-reactive-level laser therapy (LLLT) and analyzed the effects thermographically in patients with cerebral palsy. We determined transmissivity in exposed bone specimens and in the human body using a camera with a wavelength-specific charge-coupled device. The effects of LLLT were dispersed throughout the entire body, and transmitted through bone tissue as well. At an output level of 100 mW, the laser reached a depth of about 2 cm. To study the effects on the autonomic nervous system, we treated 50 patients with cerebral palsy using the gohkoku acupuncture point (between the bases of the first and second metacarpal bones) of the left hand, and measured changes in the skin temperature of both hands. A GaALAs-diode continuous-wave laser beam with a wavelength of 810 nm and power output of 100mW was applied for 60 seconds and the skin temperature was measured with a Thermotracor TH1106 apparatus (NEC San-ei). The results were classified into 3 categories : temperature decrease, no change, and temperature increase. For evaluation of the autonomic nervous system, the laser was applied over muscles with increased muscle tone all over the body in 12 patients with cerebral palsy. Color Doppler showed an increase in blood flow in the common carotid artery in eight of the 12 patients. High speed Fourier analysis of the R-R interval in the Holter electrocardiogram showed increases in the high-frequency components originating from the parasympathetic nerves after irradiation in the same eight patients, suggesting the involvement of the autonomic nervous system in producing this change.