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Disappearance of Spasticity After Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy Does Not Prevent Muscle Shortening in Children With Cerebral Palsy: A Case Report

¹ Rehabilitation Centre Heliomare, Wijk aan Zee, The Netherlands
² Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
³ Department of Neurosurgery, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
⁴ Rehabilitation Medicine, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: m.spijker{at}heliomare.nl.

	Abstract

Selective dorsal rhizotomy is an effective treatment for spasticity in children with cerebral palsy who have a spastic motor disorder. It is hypothesized that muscle shortening is related to spasticity; the lack of stretch of a muscle is thought to be the cause of muscle shortening. If this is true, the treatment for spasticity should prevent the occurrence of muscle shortening during growth. We present the case of 1 child with cerebral palsy and spastic diplegia, for whom the treatment with selective dorsal rhizotomy was successful in improving the walking abilities. She did, however, develop muscle shortening during growth. In conclusion, the development of muscle shortening during growth in children with cerebral palsy and spastic paresis cannot be prevented by treatment for the spasticity alone.

First published on January 16, 2009, doi:10.1177/0883073808325652

Journal of Child Neurology 2009;24:625.

A more recent version of this article appeared on May 1, 2009


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