A Pilot Evaluation of Cast Immobilization of Intact Upper Extremity: A New Therapeutic Approach for Spastic Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy

Sung, In Young; Park, Jun Min

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
To investigate the functional facilitation effect on an affected side of spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy by immobilizing the intact side with a cast. METHOD: Five hemiplegic cerebral palsies, who had been treated by general rehabilitation therapy during previous 6 months and showed no functional improvement were studied. Their intact arms were immobilized by scotch short arm casts for 6 weeks. And, the therapeatic effects of this method were evaluated by the Box and Block Test of manual dexterity, Erhardt Developmental Prehension Assesment and Brain Perfusion SPECT.
RESULTS
1. Box and Block test: Before the cast immobilization method, hemiplegic cerebral palsies could transfer a mean of 5.4+/-3.36 cubic rods from one to the other side, and after the treatment a mean of 8.0+/-1.41 cubic rods with the affected arm. 2. Erhardt Developmental Prehension Assesment: Before the treatment, the grasp motion of round rod, cubic rod, and button suited in a mean of 5.1+/-3.0 months, and after the treatment, suited in a mean of 8.2+/-0.66 months. 3. Brain Perfusion SPECTs did not change before and after the cast immobilization method. 4. There was no adverse effect resulting from the cast immobilization method on an intact side.
CONCLUSION
We concluded that the cast immobilization method on an intact side could be a new beneficial rehabilitation method for the treatment of spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsies.