Spasticity

Surgical Treatments

Surgery can play a very important role in the treatment of chronic spasticity. Patients with acute injury to the central nervous system will have changes in their muscle tone which fluctuate during the recovery period, and surgery should not be undertaken during this time of change. Patients with chronic spasticity should have a thorough evaluation of their current level of function. Realistic expectations for improvement in function should be established before surgical intervention takes places.

In most cases, there is a complementary use of neurosurgical and functional orthopedic approaches. Children with spasticity represent a different challenge because their spasticity may change as they grow and develop so that, at times, surgery may be undertaken to allow more normal bone and muscle growth. While each surgical approach has certain strengths and weaknesses, none of them completely eliminate spasticity.

• Neurosurgery for Spasticity
• Orthopedic Surgery for Spasticity