Potential of Botulinum toxin A to treat upper extremity spasticity in children with cerebral palsy

Abstract

Botulinum toxin type A has been used extensively to treat spasticity in children with cerebral palsy. Although the effectiveness of the toxin in the lower limbs is well established, its effectiveness in upper limbs has not been proved yet. Many studies published so far report conflicting results in terms of spasticity, function, activity and participation improvement. The scope of this review is to present the evidence from published studies, focusing on the effectiveness and the safety of botulinum toxin A.