Skeletal muscle structure in spastic cerebral palsy

Abstract

The structure of skeletal muscle in cerebral palsy (CP) is altered at the molecular level, at the cellular level, and at the level of the tissue. These abnormalities in structure have implications for active and passive muscle performance and for the functional capacity of the individual, particularly in the long term. Appreciating the deficits of muscle structure may well encourage clinicians to focus on muscle growth when managing this group and lead researchers to novel therapeutics targeted at normalizing muscle structure.