Investigators from Nationwide Children’s Hospital Report New Data on Cerebral Palsy (Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy: Patient Demographics and Postoperative Physical Therapy): Central Nervous System Diseases and Conditions – Cerebral Palsy

2023 OCT 12 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Investigators publish new report on Central Nervous System Diseases and Conditions - Cerebral Palsy. According to news reporting originating in Columbus, Ohio, by NewsRx journalists, research stated, “Selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) is a surgical procedure that permanently alters lower extremity spasticity, common in children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP). Intensive postoperative physical therapy (PT) is recommended following SDR.”

The news reporters obtained a quote from the research from Nationwide Children’s Hospital, “The first purpose of this study is to describe and compare patient demographics between children who received SDR and the population of children with CP at one institution. The second purpose of this study is to compare the completed dose of postoperative PT with the clinically recommended dose for a subset of ambulatory children who underwent SDR. This retrospective, observational study included 60 children with spastic CP following SDR. A subset (n = 12 ambulatory children) was included to describe the dose of postoperative PT. Information gathered from electronic medical records included age at the time of SDR, sex, Gross Motor Function Classification System level, anatomic distribution, race, county-level habitancy, health insurance provider, timed current procedural terminology codes, and location for postoperative PT encounters within a single institution. Black or African American children (P = 0.002), children living in large central metro areas (P - 0.033), and children with public insurance (P <= 0.001) were significantly less likely to receive SDR. Children undergoing SDR do not achieve the recommended dose of PT after hospital discharge. SDR is not equally accessed by patient populations, and postoperative PT frequency is below current recommendations throughout the rehabilitation process.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “Future studies need to investigate why these disparities exist and what prevents children from meeting the clinically recommended dose of postoperative PT after SDR.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy: Patient Demographics and Postoperative Physical Therapy. Pediatric Neurology, 2023;147:56-62. Pediatric Neurology can be contacted at: Elsevier Science Inc, Ste 800, 230 Park Ave, New York, NY 10169, USA. (Elsevier - www.elsevier.com; Pediatric Neurology - http://www.journals.elsevier.com/pediatric-neurology/)

Our news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Kristen Blatt, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Dept. of Physical Therapy, Division of Clinical Therapies, Columbus, OH 43205, United States. Additional authors for this research include Jessica Lewis, Rachel Bican and Jeffrey Leonard.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2023.07.006. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

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