Extract
Spinal deformity occurs in children who have problems with motor control
involving the trunk muscles. This lack of control allows the growing spine to
collapse. Most commonly, this collapse is due to spasticity in children with
the quadriplegic pattern of cerebral palsy. The most typical collapse pattern
is scoliosis, although kyphosis or lordosis may also develop. Children who
have severe hypotonia may also have development of spinal deformities, often
with substantial kyphosis. Individuals with severe extensor posturing may have
development of total spinal lordosis. A severe lack of motor control,
expressed as a movement disorder such as athetosis or dystonia, is associated
with a lower incidence of scoliosis than spasticity is. The incidence of
scoliosis in institutionalized individuals, most of whom have a spastic
quadriplegic pattern, has been reported to be 64%, with a strong inverse
relationship to ambulatory
ability1. This means
that individuals who are dependent sitters with no head control may have a
rate of scoliosis as high as 90%. We are not aware of published data on the
incidence of spinal deformity with other movement disorders.