Studying Muscle Length and Composition in Children With Cerebral Palsy and Its Impact on Function Before and After Tendon Surgery

What this Trial Is About

This research focuses on children and adolescents with cerebral palsy CP, a condition caused by a brain malformation or lesion before age two that leads to muscle stiffness, poor coordination, and motor control issues. Over time, muscle shortening worsens joint positions and causes bone deformities, which affect limb function. The study aims to better understand muscle changes in CP, including muscle structure and protein composition, to improve treatment approaches. The study involves observing muscles during surgical procedures typically done for CP treatment. Researchers use a special laser technique to measure the length of sarcomeres, the smallest units in muscle fibers, to guide precise tendon tension settings during surgery. Muscle biopsies are also collected and analyzed with advanced lab methods to study muscle architecture, protein expression, and potential abnormalities linked to CP severity. Participants will have muscle measurements taken during surgery, and muscle tissue samples will be preserved for detailed examination. The main outcomes include sarcomere length measured during surgery and muscle biopsy analyses of fiber area, gene expression, and protein content. The study is observational with no additional interventions and includes children aged 2 to 18 years with cerebral palsy or acquired brain injury. The total participation timeline depends on scheduled surgeries and follow-up evaluations.

The Muscle in Cerebral Palsy; Sarcomere Length in Vivo and Microscopic Characterization of Biopsies.