title: Lower limb muscle volumes in bilateral spastic cerebral palsy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Muscle weakness is a feature of individuals with spastic cerebral palsy (SCP) but there are few reports in the literature of muscle volume in this group. This study compares muscle volumes in adolescents and young adults with SCP with those of their typically developing (TD) peers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Measurements of the volumes of nine major lower limb muscles in 19 independently ambulant subjects with SCP (mean age 14.2 years (sd 2.7), 11 male, GMFCS I (n=5); GMFCS II (n=14)), 19 TD subjects (mean age 16.5 years (sd 3.0), 11 male) were made using magnetic resonance imaging.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Lower limb muscles were smaller in the SCP group (p≤0.023 in all muscles) than the TD group with the exception of the vastii (lateralis+intermedius; p=0.868) and gluteus maximus (p=0.056). Average muscle volume deficit was 27.9%. Muscle volume deficits were significantly greater for distal muscles than proximal muscles (p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Reduced muscle size in adolescence and the natural history of sarcopenia in adulthood may contribute to the early loss of mobility of adults with SCP.
authors.affiliation: Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, The Rayne Institute, 4th Floor, Lambeth Wing, St. Thomas' Hospital, London SE1 7EH, United Kingdom. Electronic address: jonathan.noble@gstt.nhs.uk.
authors.forename: Jonathan J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Noble
authors.affiliation: One Small Step Gait Laboratory, Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, Guy's Hospital, London SE1 9RT, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Nicola R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Fry
authors.affiliation: Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, The Rayne Institute, 4th Floor, Lambeth Wing, St. Thomas' Hospital, London SE1 7EH, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Andrew P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics, Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, The Rayne Institute, 4th Floor, Lambeth Wing, St. Thomas' Hospital, London SE1 7EH, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Stephen F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Keevil
authors.affiliation: One Small Step Gait Laboratory, Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, Guy's Hospital, London SE1 9RT, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gough
authors.affiliation: One Small Step Gait Laboratory, Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, Guy's Hospital, London SE1 9RT, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Adam P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Shortland
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000473:pathology*; D009929:Organ Size; D052097:Quadriceps Muscle / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Cerebral palsy; Independently ambulant; Lower limb; Magnetic resonance imaging; Muscle volume