Clinical examination of children with cerebral palsy

Cerebral palsy (CP), a heterogeneous disorder of movement and posture, is one of the most important causes of disability affecting children. With a wide variability in the clinical presentation and a paucity of reliable diagnostic tests, decision-making in CP is fraught with difficulties and challenges. The plethora of musculoskeletal manifestations includes poor muscle function, spasticity, rigidity, muscle weakness, poor selective motor control, soft-tissue and joint contractures, torsional malalignments, and lever arm dysfunctions. Children with CP are at a high risk of further worsening and progression of these musculoskeletal abnormalities with the natural course of the disease. A comprehensive assessment that includes a combination of detailed medical history, functional assessment, clinical examination, analysis of gait, and radiological assessment is required to provide a favorable treatment outcome in these children. A close surveillance is essential so as to identify risk factors for the development and progression of musculoskeletal problems so that early interventions can be carried out to circumvent them. This review article is to highlight the importance of clinical examination in the assessment of children with CP.