Subject(s)
Antimalarials , COVID-19 , Antimalarials/adverse effects , Chloroquine , Fear , Humans , Hydroxychloroquine/adverse effectsABSTRACT
Patients with spastic quadriplegia secondary to cerebral palsy manifest with severe spasticity and often with neuromuscular scoliosis. In order to optimize treatment and minimize morbidity in selected cases, the authors present a surgical option concurrently addressing these problems. This study reviews one case and describes the surgical technique in detail where intrathecal baclofen pump implantation and posterior spinal fusion are concomitantly performed to manage spasticity and scoliosis, respectively.
Subject(s)
Baclofen/administration & dosage , Muscle Relaxants, Central/administration & dosage , Muscle Spasticity/drug therapy , Orthopedic Procedures/methods , Spinal Curvatures/surgery , Adolescent , Bone Nails , Cerebral Palsy/complications , Female , Humans , Infusion Pumps, Implantable , Injections, Spinal , Muscle Spasticity/etiology , Spinal Curvatures/etiologyABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Intrathecal baclofen (ITB) is an effective treatment of spasticity in patients with cerebral palsy. However, several recent reports have raised concerns that the treatment may be associated with a rapid progression of scoliosis. The objective of this study was to further examine the effect of ITB treatment on the progression of scoliosis in patients with cerebral palsy. METHODS: Spastic cerebral palsy patients who were ITB candidates were followed radiographically. Baseline Cobb angles of the primary curve were measured during the period of ITB pump insertion and at the most recent follow-up visit. Each patient was matched with a control patient by the diagnosis of cerebral palsy, age, sex, topographic involvement, and initial Cobb angle. The mean rate of change in Cobb angle was compared between ITB and control patients using paired t test. A multiple linear regression model was used to examine the difference, controlling for age, sex, topographic involvement, and initial Cobb angle. RESULTS: Fifty ITB patients and 50 controls were included in the analysis. There was no statistically significant difference between the mean change in Cobb angle in ITB patients (6.6 degrees per year) compared with the matched control patients (5.0 degrees per year, P = 0.39). The results from the multiple regression analysis also failed to show a statistically significant difference (0.92 degrees per year difference between ITB patients and controls, P = 0.56). CONCLUSIONS: The progression of scoliosis in cerebral palsy patients with ITB treatment is not significantly different from those without ITB treatment. The findings suggest that patients receiving ITB experience a natural progression of scoliosis similar to the natural history reported in the literature. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.
Subject(s)
Baclofen/adverse effects , Cerebral Palsy/drug therapy , Muscle Relaxants, Central/adverse effects , Scoliosis/drug therapy , Adolescent , Baclofen/administration & dosage , Case-Control Studies , Cerebral Palsy/diagnostic imaging , Cerebral Palsy/physiopathology , Child , Child, Preschool , Disease Progression , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Infusion Pumps, Implantable , Injections, Spinal , Linear Models , Male , Muscle Relaxants, Central/administration & dosage , Radiography , Scoliosis/etiology , Scoliosis/physiopathologyABSTRACT
The purpose of this study is to report the short-term outcome of intrathecal baclofen therapy on the function of individuals with diplegic cerebral palsy (CP) and the health-related quality of life (HRQL) of their caregivers. Eight pediatric patients with spastic diplegia were treated with ITB following failed oral spasticity management and were followed for a minimum of 2 years. Physical and functional outcomes were assessed using Ashworth Scores (AS), Physician Rating Scale (PRS), and a subset of the Functional Independence Measure for children (WeeFIM). HRQL was assessed using SF-36, CES-D short form, Impact on Family Scale, Life Orientation Test, Rand Social Support Scale, and Social Desirability Scale. At final follow-up, AS was significantly reduced (all p ⩽ 0.03). The PRS scale showed statistically significant improvement in four out of six subscales: median gait pattern (p = 0.05), median hind foot strike (p = 0.03), median knee position (p = 0.03) and median hind foot gait (p = 0.05). The WeeFIM score improved significantly with a mean increase of 32% (p = 0.03). ITB therapy significantly reduced spasticity and improved the function of these eight children with diplegic CP. HRQL of the parents or the caregivers remained stable despite the surgical intervention and follow-up visits required for pump refills.
