Whole body vibration combined with botulinum neurotoxin A injection in the treatment of spastic diplegic cerebral palsy

Abstract

Objective To observe the effect of combining whole body vibration with botulinum neurotoxin A injections on tiptoe and the gross motor function of children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy. Methods Sixty spastic diplegic children with tipped foot aged between 2 to 5 were equally divided into a control group and an experimental group randomly. The control group received 3 IU/kg botulinum neurotoxin A injections to the medial and lateral heads of the gastrocnemius muscle. Then 5 daily courses of conventional training were administered 5 days a week for 3 weeks beginning 24 hours after the injections. The experimental group additionally received 2min of whole body vibration 3 or 4 times per day with one-minute rests, 5 days per week for 5 weeks. All of the children were assessed before the experiment and 1, 3 and 6 months later using the modified Tardieu scale (MTS) and the R1 and R2 ankle and dimensions D and E of the gross motor function measurement scale (GMFM-88). Results There were no significant differences between the two groups before the treatment. Afterward, the average MTS, R1, R2 and GMFM-88 scores of both groups were significantly improved. The average MTS, R1 and R2 scores of the experimental group after treatment were significantly better than the control group′s averages. The average GMFM-88 score of the experimental group was not significantly different from that of the control group after 1 month, but after 3 and 6 months significant differences emerged. Conclusion Whole body vibration improves the effectiveness of botulinum neurotoxin A injections in relieving tiptoe and improving the gross motor function of children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy. Key words: Cerebral palsy; Whole body vibration; Botulinum neurotoxin A; Tipped foot; Gross motor function