Quantifying passive muscle stiffness in children with and without cerebral palsy using ultrasound shear wave elastography

Abstract

Passive muscle stiffness, measured without the influence of spasticity, is greater in children with CP than in children with typical development when a muscle is at slack and at stretch. When shear modulus was normalized, the results indicate that muscle in children in both groups responds similarly to passive stretch. Further work includes evaluating effect of botulinum toxin on passive muscle properties.