title: Prediction of postoperative gait velocity in cerebral palsy.
abstract: Preoperative and postoperative gait analyses were reviewed for 47 patients with cerebral palsy in an attempt to ascertain predictors of surgical outcome as measured by gait velocity. Higher postoperative velocity correlated with higher preoperative velocity and younger age. Observed velocities in older children were smaller than predicted values. Older children showed either an average decline in velocity from normal for age or no change. Younger children showed an average increase in velocity toward normal for their age. Diagnosis, type of surgery, number of procedures performed and level of ambulation preoperatively were not predictive of postoperative velocity. These results suggests that gait velocity cannot be reliably increased in all children with cerebral palsy undergoing surgery, especially those older than age 12.
authors.affiliation: Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, 4650 Sunset Boulevard, M/S #69, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA.
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Kay
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Rethlefsen
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Dennis
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Skaggs
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011184:Postoperative Period; D012189:Retrospective Studies