Orthopedic Treatment of Cerebral Palsy and its Evaluation

Follow-up study of exercise, operation and bracings for CP children was conducted to foresee its prognosis. The evaluation of the results was based on the motor age test (M. K. Johnson). The subjects of the study: exercise; 45, operation: 44, bracings; 43. The results are given as follows. 1. The motor age test is found to be excellent for the objective evaluation. 2. Exercise plays the principal role in the treatment of CP, and bracings and operation will serve as supplementary measures. 3. It is desirable to begin exercises as early as possible, but the exercises starfed even with some of rather grown-up children would yield better results than expectation. 4. As for operative measures, the operation like that of Eggers which is primarily concerned with the motor function proves to be excellent. However, in the cases of osteotomy, elongation of Achilles tendon, etc. for deformity, the function tends to decrease gradually, even if postoperative results may appear to be good at first. 5. As for the group with bracings, they may show some improvement of motor age, but 41 per cent of such cases would show no improvement at all or rather deterioration.