Effect of multisite botulinum toxin injections on gait quality in adults with cerebral palsy.

Purpose: In the management of adults with cerebral palsy (CP), one of the goals is to monitor and prevent spasticity-related deteriorations in gait. Botulinum Toxin Injections (BTI) are commonly used to treat this spasticity in these patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate (i) the effect of multi-site BTI on gait patterns in adults with CP and (ii) to determine if these modifications could be detected by the Gait Deviation Index (GDI). Method: Spontaneous-velocity gait was recorded using 3D gait analysis before and 1 month after multi-site BTI in lower limb muscles. Spatiotemporal parameters (STP), kinematic parameters (KP) and the GDI were computed. Results: Post BTI, stride length, peak hip flexion and peak knee flexion during Swing Phase (SW) were significantly increased while the GDI was not significantly modified. Conclusion: A single multi-site BTI improved STP and KP of adults with CP but the GDI was not sensitive enough to detect these changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]