Does Orthopedic Surgery Improve Gait Efficiency in Children With Cerebral Palsy? A Retrospective Study

Purpose: The aim of this retrospective observational study is to describe the demographic, clinical, and functional characteristics of children and adolescents with spastic cerebral palsy (CP) undergoing Single Event Multilevel Surgery (SEMLS) and changes in their gait efficiency following surgery. Methods: Seventy-eight participants were included and a total of eighty-four SEMLS analyzed. All the participants were followed by the Children Rehabilitation Unit of the Local Health Authority of Reggio Emilia. Participants met the following requirements: age 4-20 years; hemiplegic or diplegic CP; Gross Motor Function Classification System level I, II or III; 3D gait analysis either before and after surgery. The following parameters were reported: maximum hip and knee extension in the gait cycle, to measure the gait efficiency; normalized maximum power produced by the ankle during push-off phase, to express the propulsive capacity; normalized speed and normalized stride length as global gait performance measure.