Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral Palsy (CP) is defined as a motor impairment caused by an injury to the immature brain, ie. before the age of two.

The brain damage is non-progressive, but contracture formation of the muscles and e.g. hip dysplasia and hip dislocation is progressive.

Children with CP may have gait impairments that could be improved by orthotics, botulinum toxin injections and/or musculoskeletal surgery.

For accurate analysis of gait impairments and precise analyses of the results of different treatments, we perform instrumented gait analyses at our Gait Lab (Motoriklab). More complicated general spasticity is discussed at Spasticity Clinics, where a team with pediatric neurologists, pediatric neurosurgeons, pediatric orthopedic surgeons and physiotherapists meet the child and the family.

Different spasticity reducing treatments are discussed like Baclofen pumps, selective dorsal rhizotomies and botulinum toxin injections. We have a close collaboration with the Child Habilitation centers in Stockholm, at which the children are followed up with CPUP (the national CP follow up surveillance program) for hip dislocations and contractures of both upper and lower limbs. These may need treatment with advanced musculoskeletal surgery at Karolinska. Scoliosis may evolve, and is treated with scoliosis surgery by spine surgeons.