Value of gait analysis in the assessment of surgery in cerebral palsy.

Twenty-three ambulatory children with cerebral palsy were assessed preoperatively by a detailed clinical examination and by gait analysis using a video-based gait analysis system (VICON). Surgery was then performed based on either the clinical assessment alone or a combination of clinical evaluation and gait analysis. About one year after surgery, a postoperative clinical and gait analysis assessment was performed. Sixteen children had improved and seven children had not improved after surgery. Most of the children who had not improved were found to have had operations that differed from those recommended by gait analysis. Dynamic EMG studies were found to be useful in preoperative planning but did not show any consistent improvement even in the children with good results. The combination of a careful clinical assessment and gait analysis can produce better results in surgery for children with cerebral palsy.