Keywords
Orthopedics
Cerebral palsy
Muscle weakness
Muscle spasticity
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Abstract
Objective: Identify the most affected muscles in pediatric patients with spastic cerebral palsy, characterize their clinical and epidemiological profiles, and assess their motor and functional capacities. Methods: An observational, prospective, cross-sectional, descriptive, analytical, and single-center study was conducted with both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The investigation focused on exploring the relationship between participants' clinical profiles, medical histories, and the degree of muscle spasticity. Results: The sample consisted predominantly of male patients (58.4%) with a mean age of 8 years. Most participants resided in the Metropolitan Region of Belém. The most affected muscles were the gastrocnemius and hamstrings, with spasticity predominantly classified as grade II on the Ashworth Scale, level I on the MACS classification, and level II on the GMFCS scale. Spastic cerebral palsy represented the most prevalent subtype, accounting for 95% of the cases. Regarding the upper limbs, the flexor carpi radialis, brachialis, and pronator teres were the most frequently affected muscles. Conclusion: The classifications used in this study, such asthe Ashworth Scale, MACS, and GMFCS, are crucial tools but present limitations that may influence result accuracy. Overall, the gastrocnemius and hamstrings were identified as the most commonly affected muscles in this cohort.
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