Celebral palsy

Cerebral palsy includes symptoms caused by brain damage before, during or after birth. The affected children and adolescents have limited motor skills.

Cerebral palsy is not a disease in itself, but summarises many symptoms associated with early childhood damage to the developing brain. The nature of the patient's impairment depends on which area of the brain is affected.

The clinical picture of cerebral palsy includes movement disorders, but also behavioural abnormalities, mental impairments or epilepsy. The damage to the brain can have various causes.

Prominent examples are premature birth, complications with the umbilical cord, oxygen deficiency, brain haemorrhages or accidents.

All patients receive an individualised treatment plan in neuroorthopaedics. If treatment is started at an early age, healthy areas of the brain may be able to take over functions. If deformities are treated early during growth, they can even be avoided. Neuroorthopaedic treatment is planned on a multidisciplinary basis, together with colleagues from neurology, neurosurgery and therapies, and is individually tailored to the child's motor skills and prognosis.

The components of the treatment are

• Physiotherapy and occupational therapy
• Speech therapy
• Orthopaedic technology
• Drug and neurosurgical treatment of muscle tone abnormalities
• Neuroorthopaedic operations

For patients who are able to walk This involves correcting the position of bones and muscle lengths in order to establish and maintain the child's ability to walk

For patients who are unable to walk is primarily concerned with the early detection and treatment of hip deformities and spinal deformities

It is always our aim to enable patients to lead an independent life with the best possible quality of life for their illness in the long term.