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Hospital News
Spasticity Center
Richard C.E. Anderson, MD
Director, Spasticity CenterThe Spasticity Center at Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital is a multidisciplinary program that includes pediatric specialists in neurology, neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, physical and occupational therapy. Spasticity results from damage to the motor pathways of the brain or spinal cord. It is characterized by stiff muscles and exaggerated reflexes that can interfere with gait, movement, or speech. Symptoms and signs may include scissoring or crossing of the legs, clonus (repetitive jerking of the ankles or other joints with minimal stimulation) and posturing of the limbs. Typically, the upper extremity is flexed and the lower extremity is extended. Chronic untreated spasticity can lead to muscle contractures.
Our healthcare team provides consultation and treatment services during a single visit, avoiding the need for multiple appointments over several months. Patients undergo a thorough examination to determine the optimum management plan for their particular condition. This may involve a combination of physical and occupational therapy (including positioning, bracing, splinting, and casting), Botox intramuscular injections, Baclofen and other oral medications or Baclofen pumps that are implanted under the skin to dispense medication directly into the spinal fluid. In some cases neurologic or orthopedic surgery is required for an optimal outcome.
Our Spasticity Center is the only program in the tri-state area and among the few nationwide that performs minimally invasive selective dorsal rhizotomy to relieve spasticity due to cerebral palsy. Traditionally this operation involved removing five levels of bone during an eight-hour surgery. Today, our surgeons remove just one level of bone through a minimally invasive approach. The operation is much quicker and children recover faster, allowing them to begin the process of retraining their relaxed muscles with physical therapy and rehabilitation at an earlier stage.
