• Mohammad A Khalili and Abdulhamid Hajihassanie.
• Faculty of Rehabilitation, Semnan University (Medical Sciences), Semnan, Iran. moh35ir@yahoo.co.UK
• Aust J Physiother. 2008 Jan 1; 54 (3): 185-9.

QuestionDoes electrical stimulation in addition to passive stretching reduce spasticity and contracture more than passive stretching alone in children with cerebral palsy?DesignRandomised within-participant controlled trial with concealed allocation, assessor blinding, and intention-to-treat analysis.ParticipantsEleven (one dropout) children with cerebral palsy and bilateral knee flexor spasticity aged 13 years (SD 1).InterventionOne leg in each participant received the experimental intervention for four weeks which consisted of 30 min of electrical stimulation of the quadriceps 3 times per week and passive stretching of the hamstrings 5 times per week. The other leg received the control intervention for four weeks which consisted of passive stretching of the hamstrings 5 times per week.Outcome MeasuresSpasticity of the hamstrings was measured using the modified Ashworth scale. Contracture was measured as maximum passive knee extension using goniometry.ResultsThe mean difference in decrease in the modified Ashworth score due to the addition of electrical stimulation to the stretching regimen was 0.8 points (95% CI 0.1 to 1.5). The mean difference in increase in passive knee extension due to the addition of electrical stimulation to the stretching regimen was 4 degrees (95% CI 0 to 7).ConclusionElectrical stimulation combined with passive stretching is marginally more effective than passive stretching alone for spastic limbs of children with cerebral palsy.

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