About this trial
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 criteria
Qualifiers
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
Disqualifiers
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
Trial design
Treatments tested in this trial
- Not listed