Preoperative gait analysis has a substantial effect on orthopedic decision making in children with cerebral palsy: comparison between clinical evaluation and gait analysis in 60 patients.

BACKGROUND: There is still some debate regarding the role of 3-dimensional gait analysis in routine preoperative evaluation of children with cerebral palsy. The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate to what extent introduction of 3-D gait analysis changes preoperative surgical planning.

METHOD: Before gait analysis, 60 ambulatory children aged 10 (4-18) years with spastic cerebral palsy had a specific surgical plan outlined, based on clinical examination by orthopedic surgeons. After gait analysis, the proposed surgical procedures were reviewed to determine the frequency with which the treatment plans changed. A multidisciplinary team assessed the gait analysis.

RESULTS: Treatment plans for 42 of the 60 patients were altered after gait analysis. Surgical treatment was recommended for 49 patients whereas 11 were recommended non-surgical treatment. Of the 253 specific surgical procedures proposed, 97 procedures were not recommended after gait analysis and 65 additional procedures were recommended after the analysis. Thus, the number of procedures proposed was reduced by 13%. A total of 318 specific surgical procedures were proposed either clinically, by gait analysis, or both. There was overall agreement between the referring orthopedic surgeons and gait analysis in 156 of these 318 procedures (49%). Gait analysis proposed more surgery for psoas tenotomy and rectus femoris transfer, whereas less surgery was proposed for other soft tissue and bony procedures. There was good accordance between gait analysis recommendations and the surgery performed subsequently (92%).

INTERPRETATION: Gait analysis provided important additional information that modified preoperative surgical planning to a high degree. The high accordance between recommendations and surgery performed suggests that surgeons seriously consider the gait data and treatment recommendations.