Effect of caudal block on sevoflurane requirement for lower limb surgery in children with cerebral palsy

Background: Caudal block is a widely used technique for providing perioperative pain management in children. In this randomized double‐blinded study, we evaluated the effects of preoperative caudal block on sevoflurane requirements in children with cerebral palsy (CP) undergoing lower limb surgery while bispectral index (BIS) values were maintained between 45 and 55. Methods: 52 children undergoing Achilles‐tendon lengthening were randomized to receive combined general–caudal anesthesia (caudal group, n = 27) or general anesthesia alone (control group, n = 25). Caudal block was performed with a single dose of 0.7 ml·kg^?1 of 1.0% lidocaine containing epinephrine at 5 μg·ml^?1. The control group received no preoperative caudal block. The endtidal sevoflurane concentrations (ET_sev) were adjusted every minute to maintain the BIS values between 45 and 55. Results: The ET_sev required to maintain the BIS values were not significantly different between the control and caudal groups after induction of anesthesia [2.1 (0.2) vs 2.2 (0.4); P = 0.773]. However, significantly higher ET_sev was observed in the control group before surgical incision [2.0 (0.2) vs 1.8 (0.3); P = 0.013] and during the first 20 min after surgical incision [2.2 (0.3) vs 1.4 (0.3); P < 0.001]. There was no significant difference in BIS values between the control and caudal groups throughout the study period (P > 0.05). In the caudal group, the caudal block was successful in 25 of 27 (92.6%) patients. Conclusions: Caudal block effectively reduced sevoflurane requirements by 36% compared to general anesthesia alone in children with CP undergoing lower limb surgery while BIS values were maintained between 45 and 55.     

Oculomotor nerve palsy in patients with cerebral aneurysms

Twenty-six patients with oculomotor nerve palsy due to cerebral aneurysms were examined. There were six males and twenty females with a mean age of 55 years. 25 of the 26 aneurysms were located at the junction of the internal carotid and the posterior communicating artery and one was at the junction of the basilar artery and the superior cerebellar artery. Twelve patients had associated subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH); the other 14 did not. The initial symptoms in many patients were ptosis and double vision. Twenty-one of the patients had total oculomotor nerve palsy, one had a sparing of medial rectus muscle; three patients had only ptosis and anisocoria, and one had oculomotor nerve palsy with pupillary sparing. All aneurysms, including giant aneurysms, were clipped under a microscope, and six oculomotor nerves were found to be decompressed at surgery. The follow-up periods were from six months to three years. Nine patients had a complete recovery of oculomotor function; thirteen had an incomplete recovery; and four remained unchanged. The mean interval between the onset of palsy and the time of surgery was 24 days in complete recovery cases, 42 days in incomplete recovery cases, and 119 days in unchanged cases. The recovery of oculomotor function started with the levator palpebrae muscle and followed by the medial rectus muscle. The recovery of pupillary function was, however, not consistent. Of the factors influencing recovery from oculomotor nerve palsy, the interval between the onset of palsy and the time of surgery was most important. Therefore, aneurysms with oculomotor nerve palsy should be operated on as early as possible, regardless of the presence or absence of SAH.     

Treatment of femur fractures in children with cerebral palsy

Purpose  Children with cerebral palsy may have low bone density stemming from various etiologies and are, thereby, at risk for fractures. The treatment of femur fractures in children with cerebral palsy may need to be tailored to address the management of spastic muscle tone and multiple medical co-morbidities. Methods  Our study is a retrospective review that evaluates the treatment of 47 femur fractures in children with cerebral palsy in both ambulatory and non-ambulatory patients. Results  Thirty-two fractures in non-ambulators were treated non-operatively, 11 of which resulted in malunions and five developed pressure sores. Six fractures in non-ambulators were treated operatively, one of which resulted in a malunion. In ambulators, five fractures were treated non-operatively; one of these fractures lost reduction after 2 weeks and required surgical intervention. One of four fractures in ambulators treated operatively developed a malunion. Conclusion  Our study results suggest that femur fractures in children with cerebral palsy can be treated non-operatively; however, because of the high risk of malunion in this patient population, fracture alignment needs to be followed closely during healing. Careful attention during casting is necessary to prevent pressure sores. Strong consideration should be given to initial operative treatment in ambulatory patients in order to preserve function.     

Botulinum toxin A treatment of the lower extremities in children with cerebral palsy

Objectives

In the last 2 decades, BTX-A is increasingly being used in the management of spasticity in children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) and there is no doubt about its effect on range of motion, spasticity reduction and gait pattern in this patient population. However, in daily practice, there is still an ongoing search for the best way to apply BTX-A. Two studies were set up to evaluate how successful an integrated multilevel treatment approach is in children with CP. The first study identifies crucial factors within the treatment strategy which may predict the outcome. The second study evaluates the efficacy of repeated BTX-A injections.

Methods

Patient selection was based on following criteria: diagnosis of CP, lower limb BTX-A treatment, age at time of treatment <24 years, no combined surgery at the time of BTX-A injections, 3D gait analysis and clinical evaluation pre and 2 months post BTX-A injections. The first study included the last treatment of 577 patients. In the second study, the first and last BTX-A treatment of 222 children were included. The Goal Attainment Scale (GAS) was used to evaluate the functional outcome of each treatment session.

Results

In the first study, the mean GAS score of the total group was 51.7 (±7.5). Considering a converted total score of 50 as cut-off score for successful treatment, 67.1 % of the treatments were successful. Significantly higher GAS scores were found in mildly involved children compared to more involved children (p < 0.0001) and for multilevel injections or injections in the distal muscle groups only compared to injections in the proximal muscles of the lower limb only (p < 0.0001). Other crucial factors for a successful outcome were amount of physical therapy per week (p=0.0026), post injection casting (p=0.005) and frequency of using day and night orthoses after injection (p < 0.0001). In the second study, the mean GAS score of the total group decreased from 54.8 (±6.8) at the first treatment to 50.7 (±6.9) at the last treatment, indicating that on average, repeated BTX-A treatment is successful.

Conclusion

The integrated multilevel BTX-A approach is successful in children with CP. Several factors might help the clinician to select patients that are most likely to benefit from the treatment, to assure the most optimal treatment strategy and to predict the outcome. Each treatment should be carefully planned and goals should be well chosen, because the effectiveness of the BTX-A treatment may decrease with increasing number of treatments in the same patient.     

Sacral neuromodulation and lower urinary tract dysfunction in cerebral palsy

Given the emerging role of sacral neuromodulation in treatment of neurogenic voiding dysfunction, the author describes the use of sacral neuromodulation in a patient with voiding dysfunction caused by cerebral palsy (CP). A 45-year-old patient with cerebral palsy presented with progressive complaints of urgency and overflow incontinence and was found to be in retention. She underwent sacral neuromodulation and had complete resolution of her symptoms. The literature of lower urinary tract dysfunction in CP is reviewed. It is concluded that sacral neuromodulation may be a valuable tool in treating storage and voiding disorders associated with CP.     

Overview of foot deformity management in children with cerebral palsy

Foot deformities in children with cerebral palsy are common. The natural history of the deformities of the feet is very variable and very unpredictable in young children less then 5 years old. Treatment for the young children should be primarily with orthotics and manual therapy. Equinus is the most common deformity, with orthotics augmented with botulinum toxin being the primary management in young children. When fixed deformity develops lengthening only the muscle which is contracted is preferred. Varus deformity of the feet is often associated with equinus, and can almost always be managed with orthotics until 8 or 10 years of age. Planovalgus is the most common deformity in children with bilateral lower extremity spasticity. The primary management is orthotics until the child no longer tolerates the orthotic; then surgical management needs to consider all the deformities and all should be corrected. This requires correcting the subtalor subluxation with calcaneal lengthening or fusion, medial midfoot correction with osteotomy or fusion.     

选择性脊神经后根切断术对脑瘫患儿膀胱功能的影响

目的：探讨功能性选择性脊神经后根切除术,（F－SPR）对脑瘫儿童膀胱功能的影响,方法：本组病例为行F－SPR的脑瘫儿童97例,术前1周和术后6个月行膀胱平均功能容量（AFBV）测定和尿液动力学检查。结果：痉挛型脑瘫术前下尿路症状（LUTS）发生率为34．24％,混合型发生率为58．33％;术后分别下降至20．54％和29．165。尿流动力学检查36例中术前26例（72．22％存在尿流动力学指标异常,其中18例（69．23％）无临床症状,AFBV和尿流动力学指标术后改善明显,I2－S1节段SPR较L5－S1节段SPR改善明显。结论：约50％脑瘫儿童合并有临床静止性膀胱功能障碍。F－SPR在有效缓解下肢痉挛的同时,可改善膀胱贮尿功能,减少上尿道并发症。     

C8神经根切断治疗上肢脑瘫的重新评价

目的 重新评价C8神经根切断治疗上肢脑瘫的疗效。方法 对6例C8神经根切断治疗上肢脑瘫的患者进行术后6个月至5年以上的功能随访，并对同期2例患者进行肌腱切断与移位的术后功能进行评价。结果 6例C8神经根切断治疗上肢脑瘫仅短时间内有效（术后10～30d），长期无效。1例单纯切断痉挛肌腱短期内关节能放松（1～3个月），长期无效。1例痉挛肌腱切断后移位至松弛肌，腕手功能明显好转，并长期有效。结论 经长期随访，C8神经根切断治疗上肢脑瘫是无效的手术方法。经典的切断痉挛肌腱，并移位于无力肌腱是可靠的治疗方法。     

Changes in gait patterns after operations in children with spastic cerebral palsy

Summary We have utilised a scoring system with the aid of a specially designed worksheet to measure gait ability in spastic children with cerebral palsy before and after corrective soft tissue operations. Postoperatively, there were obvious improvements in gait especially in the mobility of the leg and the foot. Comparison between a visually assessed score and objectively recorded values using foot-switches showed a good correlation. The postoperative improvement was most obvious in hemiplegic children, but was also present in diplegic children following both single and complex one-stage operations.

---

Résumé Afin de mesurer les possibilités de marche chez les enfants spastiques atteints de paralysie cérébrale, nous avons utilisé une cotation obtenue grâce à une abaque spécialement réalisée pour cette investigation. Les mesures ont été faites avant et après les opérations correctrices portant sur les parties molles.En post-opératoire on a noté une amélioration indiscutable de la marche, notamment en ce qui concernait la mobilité de la jambe et du pied. La comparaison entre l'estimation visuelle et les enregistrements objectifs a montré une bonne corrélation. L'amélioration post-opératoire est plus marquée chez les enfants hémiplégiques, mais elle existe aussi chez les enfants diplégiques, tant après des interventions simples que complexes.

     

选择性限制性脊神经后根切断术后脑瘫患儿腰椎稳定性的变化

目的观察痉挛型脑瘫患儿选择性限制性脊神经后根切断术(limitedselectiveposteriorrhizotomy,LSPR)后,腰椎稳定性、切除椎板再生及脊柱生长发育情况。方法将125例痉挛型脑瘫患儿根据年龄(<8岁、≥8岁)及手术方式(软组织矫形手术、LSPR手术、软组织矫形 LSPR手术)分组。在手术前、后及随访时,分别摄站立位及动力位腰椎正侧位X线片,测量手术前、后腰骶角、L5S1矢状位椎体位移率等指标。分析比较各组之间及手术前、后各项指标的差异。观察术后切除椎板再生及脊柱生长发育情况。结果(1)软组织矫形手术组手术前、后各项指标差异无统计学意义;(2)LSPR组及软组织矫形 LSPR手术组手术前、后各项指标差异显著;(3)行LSPR手术的<8岁组手术前后各项指标差异有统计学意义,≥8岁组手术前后仅L5S1矢状位椎体位移率差异显著;(4)LSPR术后发现L5S1Ⅰ度滑脱3例(3.90%),脊柱侧凸4例(5.19%,Cobb角15°～34°),腰椎前凸3例(3.90%);(5)LSPR术后见切除椎板部分再生。结论LSPR手术对脑瘫患儿腰椎稳定性有一定影响,但不是惟一的因素。儿童LSPR术后,切除的椎板有再生能力。Lumbar stabilityobservationofchildrenwith cerebralpalsyafterlimitedselectiveposteriorrhizoto-my YANG Chao,WANG Qiu-gen,ZHANG Qiu-lin,etal.Department     

Pes planovalgus deformity surgical correction in ambulatory children with cerebral palsy

Purpose

Planovalgus foot deformity is common in diplegic and quadriplegic patients. Surgery is the definitive treatment to restore the alignment of the talus, calcaneus, and navicular bones. We aimed, in the current study, to compare the effectiveness of subtalar fusion and calcaneal lengthening, and to assess the recurrence in ambulatory children with cerebral palsy.

Methods

This is a retrospective study of 78 patients (138 feet diagnosed with planovalgus deformity) who underwent surgical correction using subtalar fusion or calcaneal lengthening. Range of motion, radiographic indices, kinematic, and pedobarographic data were used to examine the deformity and the outcome of surgery. A repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test the study hypothesis.

Results

Most of the patients were diplegic (87.2 %) and the mean age at surgery was 11.9 ± 2.9 years (range from 4.7 to 18.3 years), with a mean follow-up of 5 ± 4.4 years (range from 1 to 15.4 years). Sixty-three feet were treated with calcaneal lengthening, while 75 were treated with subtalar fusion. The feet treated with subtalar fusion were more severe preoperatively. However, both surgery groups showed improvement postoperatively. Among 12 cases of recurrence, medial column fusion was the main surgery performed to correct the deformity.

Conclusions

Surgery is effective in the treatment of planovalgus deformity in ambulatory children with cerebral palsy. Severe and rigid planovalgus feet can be treated effectively with subtalar fusion. Feet with milder deformity show good results, with calcaneal lengthening. Surgery provides good correction in young patients, but there is a higher recurrence rate.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11832-012-0413-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

脑性瘫痪周围神经及骨骼肌亚显微病变研究

目的 探讨痉挛性脑竣周围神经及骨骼肌的病理改变特点。方法 取材于２５例临床确诊为痉挛性脑竣患者的周围神经及骨骼肌组织,进行术中大体观察、光镜和电镜观察。结果 大体观察基本正常,光镜下,骨骼肌纤维有集簇性变性、结缔组织增生,观察到的肌梭结构尚好。电镜下,周围神经广泛脱髓鞘病变,Ｓｃｈｗａｎｎ细胞病变先于并严惩于轴索;有髓纤维病变重于无髓纤维。神经束膜内微血管财有淋巴细胞浸润;骨骼肌纤维线粒体多,三联     

Correction versus bedding: wheelchair pressure distribution measurements in children with cerebral palsy

Purpose  

Most children with cerebral palsy classification Levels IV and V in the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) are unable to walk and, therefore, spend almost all day in a sitting position in their wheelchairs. As a result of the spastic muscle contraction, malpositions of joints or a scoliosis develop, which require a decision to be made on whether to correct the posture or simply find the best soft bedding position.     

Short-term results of musculotendinous release for paralytic hip subluxation in children with spastic cerebral palsy

INTRODUCTION

Children with paralytic hip subluxation secondary to spastic cerebral palsy were treated with a standard protocol that depended on early detection of the subluxation using clinical examination detecting limited range of hip abduction of ≤ 30° and anteroposterior pelvis radiographs detecting subluxation ≥ 33% migration as indications.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients underwent open adductor longus, proximal gracilis and proximal rectus femoris myotomy, and iliopsoas lengthening with immediate postoperative immobilisation in abduction bar for 3 weeks followed by physiotherapy. The protocol was applied to 50 children with a mean age of 3.6 years with 100 hips surgically corrected. Of these hips initially, 52% were mildly subluxated with ≤ 33% migration, 42% were moderately subluxated with > 33–66% migration, and 6% were severely subluxated with > 66% migration.

RESULTS

At a final postoperative follow-up of at least 24 months, 22% of these hips were classified as excellent with full containment and no migration, 54% were good with < 20% migration, and 24% were fair with 20–25% migration. No poor result with > 25% migration was obtained. No child developed an abduction contracture or wide-based gait that required treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Early detection and application of this treatment algorithm for children with spastic hip disease should have satisfactory outcomes. Longer follow-up will be required to determine how many children will need bony reconstruction to maintain stable containment of hips at maturity.     

Janeway gastrostomy in children with cerebral palsy

Brain damaged children frequently are unable to eat by mouth due to incoordination of tongue and pharyngeal swallowing muscles. The commonly utilized Stamm gastrostomy has several drawbacks relative to the indwelling catheter. A permanent gastrostomy consisting of a mucosal-lined tube flap from the stomach wall, as described by Janeway, is easily constructed using the GIA stapler. This provides a simple, tubeless, and safe way to feed cerebral palsied children unable to eat by mouth.     

Surgical correction of equinus deformity in children with cerebral palsy: a systematic review

Purpose  

Equinus is the most common deformity in cerebral palsy. However, despite the large volume of published studies, there are poor levels of evidence to support surgical intervention. This study was undertaken to examine the current evidence base for the surgical management of equinus deformity in cerebral palsy.     

Surgical correction of hallux valgus deformity in children with cerebral palsy

Objective

This study aimed to present a treatment algorithm for the correction of the hallux valgus deformity in Cerebral Palsy (CP) patients and to discuss the outcomes based on our clinical and radiological results.

Local and distant effects of isolated calf muscle lengthening in children with cerebral palsy and equinus gait

Purpose The purpose was to assess the local and distant effects of isolated calf muscle lengthening in ambulant children with cerebral palsy. Methods The study included fifteen ambulant children with cerebral palsy (nine with diplegia and six with hemiplegia), average age 8.8 years, Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) level I and II. None of the children had previously undergone orthopaedic surgery, apart from one child who had tendo-achilles lengthening (TAL) nine years earlier. All the children underwent pre and post-operative clinical examination and three-dimensional gait analysis (gait analysis). Twenty calf muscle lengthenings were performed, ten TAL and ten gastrocnemius recessions (GR). Results Post-operative ankle kinematics showed significant improvements in all parameters. Ankle power during push-off increased, but only significantly after TAL. Only one limb (5%) was over-corrected. Four limbs (20%) were under-corrected and one of these limbs remained in mild equinus position in stance. There was one recurrent equinus (5%) during the follow-up period of three years (range: 13–55 months). Distant effects on joints and segments were more marked in diplegia than in hemiplegia. Ten of 17 kinematic parameters distant from the ankle joint improved significant post-operatively when the preoperative values were 1SD below or above the mean of the normal material. There was no significant deterioration in any of the measured parameters. Conclusion The improvement in ankle kinematics and kinetics supported the experience of other studies. The distant effects, which have previously not been evaluated in three planes, showed improvement in several kinematic parameters indicating that additional surgery in selected patients could be abandoned or delayed.     

Flexed-knee gait in children with cerebral palsy: a 10-year follow-up study

Background

While several studies have evaluated the short-term effectiveness of conservative and surgical treatment of flexed-knee gait in children with cerebral palsy (CP), few have explored the long-term outcomes using gait analysis. The purpose of this study was to examine, through gait analysis, the 10-year outcomes of flexed-knee gait in children with CP.

Methods

Ninety-seven children with spastic CP who walked with a flexed-knee gait underwent two gait evaluations [age 6.1 ± 2.1 and 16.2 ± 2.3 years, Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) I (12), II (45), III (37), IV (3)]. Limbs with knee flexion at initial contact >15° were considered walking with a flexed-knee gait and were included in the study (n = 185). Kinematic data were collected using an eight-camera motion analysis system (Motion Analysis, Santa Rosa, CA). Surgical and therapeutic interventions were not controlled.

Results

A comparison between the two gait studies showed an overall improvement in gait at 10 years follow-up. Significant improvements were seen in knee flexion at initial contact, Gait Deviation Index (GDI), Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM), and gait speed (P < 0.01 for all). Outcome was also evaluated based on the severity of flexed-knee gait at the initial visit, with functional skills and overall gait (GDI) improving in all groups (P < 0.01 for all). The group with a severe flexed-knee gait exhibited the most improvement, while subjects with a mild flexed-knee improved the least.

Conclusions

Children at a specialty hospital whose orthopedic care included gait analysis and multi-level surgery showed improvement of flexed-knee gait and gross motor function over a 10-year course, regardless of the initial severity.     

Windswept hip deformity in children with cerebral palsy: a population-based prospective follow-up

Purpose

To analyze the development of windswept hip deformity (WS) in a total population of children with cerebral palsy (CP) up to 20 years of age, the association between WS and hip dislocation, and femoral varus osteotomy and scoliosis, and the impact of a hip surveillance program on the subsequent incidence of WS.

Methods

This is a prospective study on children with CP in southern Sweden included in the Swedish follow-up programme and registry for CP (CPUP). All children born between 1990 and 1995 with CP were included; those born between 1990 and 1991 did not partake in the hip surveillance program until they were older (3–5 years of age) and served as a historic control group. Children born between 1992 and 1995 were included in the hip surveillance program from about 2 years of age and constituted the study group.

Results

In the control group, 12 of 68 children (18 %) developed WS. In the study group of 139 children, 13 (9 %) developed WS (p = 0.071). Of all 25 children with WS, 21 also developed scoliosis and 5 developed a hip dislocation. The number of children with WS starting in the lower extremities was significantly lower in the study group (p = 0.028). No difference between the two groups was seen regarding WS that started in combination with scoliosis.

Conclusion

With early inclusion in a hip surveillance program and early treatment of contractures, it appears possible to reduce the frequency of WS starting in the lower extremities.