Crouched gait is common in children with cerebral palsy (CP), and there are various treatment options. This study evaluated the effectiveness of single-event multilevel surgery including posterior knee capsulotomy or distal femoral extension osteotomy to correct knee flexion contracture in children with CP. Gait analyses were carried out to evaluate gait preoperatively and postoperatively. Significant improvements were found in physical examination and kinematic measures, which showed that children with CP and crouched gait who develop knee flexion contractures can be treated effectively using single-event multilevel surgery including a posterior knee capsulotomy or distal femoral extension osteotomy.

No abstract

No abstract

OBJECTIVES: It is not uncommon for children with cerebral palsy (CP) to be discovered dead during sleep (DDDS); however, the factors associated with this pattern of mortality remain unknown. The current study aims to describe the mortality associated with children with CP from a single, tertiary care center who were DDDS. METHODS: A retrospective (case-only) design to examine proportionate mortality and patient characteristics and comorbidities that may be related to children DDDS between 1993 and 2011. RESULTS: There were 177 patients with CP whose deaths were reported to our institution during the study period, of which 19 were DDDS at home. The period proportionate mortality (PPM) was 114.5 per 1000. The average age at time of death was 17 years and 6 months (minimum, 6 years; maximum, 25 years). All but one of the DDDS patients had gastrointestinal feeding tubes, seizure disorders, respiratory disorders, and were non-ambulatory. Very importantly, our DDDS patients manifested clusters of respiratory disorders, namely recurrent aspiration pneumonia