This study focuses on children with spastic cerebral palsy and aims to examine how muscle morphology and tissue characteristics, as assessed by ultrasound, may relate to functional motor abilities. It is designed as a prospective, cross-sectional, observational study. Planned ultrasound-based assessments include parameters such as muscle thickness, pennation angle, fascicle length, echo intensity, tissue stiffness (via shear wave elastography), and microvascular flow (via superb microvascular imaging). These measurements are intended to be compared with standard clinical evaluations, including the GMFCS, GMFM-66, MAS, MACS, and Tardieu Scale. The study seeks to contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between muscle architecture and functional outcomes, with the goal of generating insights that may inform individualized rehabilitation planning.
Eligibility
Sex
ALL
Min age
4 Years
Max age
18 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion Criteria:
* Diagnosis of spastic cerebral palsy (SCP) according to the criteria defined by Rosenbaum et al. (2007)
* Age between 4 and 18 years
* Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) Level I, II, or III
* Manual Ability Classification System (MACS) Level I, II, III, or IV
Exclusion Criteria:
* Non-spastic types of cerebral palsy (e.g., dyskinetic, ataxic)
* Diagnosis of neuromuscular disorders other than cerebral palsy (e.g., hereditary neuropathy, myopathy)
* Presence of muscle contractures or fixed deformities in the limbs selected for ultrasound and clinical assessment
* Cognitive or behavioral impairments that prevent cooperation during ultrasound or clinical evaluation
* Botulinum toxin-A (BoNT-A) injection applied to the target muscles within the last 6 months
* Current treatment with oral or intrathecal antispastic medications
* History of orthopedic surgery or selective dorsal rhizotomy involving the target muscles
* Acute infection, febrile illness, or severe systemic disease (e.g., advanced heart failure, respiratory insufficiency) that may compromise the safety of assessments
Primary outcome measure(s)
Relationship between muscle morphology parameters and motor function in children with spastic cerebral palsy — At baseline (single assessment session) This outcome assesses the correlation between ultrasound-derived muscle morphology parameters-including muscle thickness, fascicle length, pennation angle, echo intensity, cross-sectional area, stiffness (via shear wave elastography), and vascularity (via microvascular imaging)-and standardized motor function scores (e.g., GMFM-66, GMFCS, MACS, MAS, and Tardieu Scale) in ambulatory children with spastic cerebral palsy.
Comparison Between Modified Heckmatt Scale and Quantitative Echo Intensity in Spastic Muscles — At baseline (single assessment session) This outcome evaluates the agreement between visual muscle echogenicity scores based on the Modified Heckmatt Scale and quantitative grayscale echo intensity values obtained via B-mode ultrasonography in spastic upper and lower limb muscles of children with spastic cerebral palsy. The analysis aims to determine the clinical utility of the Modified Heckmatt Scale in representing objective muscle echotexture.
This page summarises publicly available registry data for informational purposes — not medical advice. Eligibility is determined by each study team; patients should discuss participation with their clinician.
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