Prediction of postoperative gait velocity in cerebral palsy

Preoperative and postoperative gait analyses were reviewed for 47 patients with cerebral palsy in an attempt to ascertain predictors of surgical outco me as measured by gait velocity. Higher postoperative velocity correlated w ith higher preoperative velocity and younger age. Observed velocities in ol der children were smaller than predicted values. Older children showed eith er an average decline in velocity from normal for age or no change. Younger children showed an average increase in velocity toward normal for their ag e. Diagnosis, type of surgery, number of procedures performed and level of ambulation preoperatively were not predictive of postoperative velocity. Th ese results suggests that gait velocity cannot be reliably increased in all children with cerebral palsy undergoing surgery, especially those older th an age 12.