Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41775054›Full record

ArticleClinical biomechanics (Bristol, Avon)2026

Quantification of muscle morphology and stiffness in spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy versus typically developing controls using magnetic resonance elastography.

Diego A Caban-Rivera, Curtis L Johnson, Chris Church, Daniel R Smith, M Wade Shrader, Stephanie Lee, Parma E Montufar Wright, Faaiza Kazmi, Arianna Trionfo, Jason J Howard

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Article in Clinical biomechanics (Bristol, Avon), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Diego A Caban-RiveraDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA.
Curtis L JohnsonDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA; Department of Biomedical Research, Nemours Children's Health, Wilmington, DE, USA.
Chris ChurchDepartment of Orthopedics, Nemours Children's Health, Wilmington, DE, USA.
Daniel R SmithDepartment of Orthopedics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
M Wade ShraderDepartment of Orthopedics, Nemours Children's Health, Wilmington, DE, USA.
Stephanie LeeDepartment of Biomedical Research, Nemours Children's Health, Wilmington, DE, USA.
Parma E Montufar WrightDepartment of Orthopedics, Nemours Children's Health, Wilmington, DE, USA.
Faaiza KazmiDepartment of Radiology, Nemours Children's Health, Wilmington, DE, USA.
Arianna TrionfoDepartment of Orthopedics, Nemours Children's Health, Wilmington, DE, USA.
Jason J HowardDepartment of Orthopedics, Nemours Children's Health, Wilmington, DE, USA. Electronic address: jason.howard@me.com.

Funding

Subproject Title: Clinical Research Education, Mentoring and Career Development CoreU54GM104941 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE · PI Gregory E Hicks · 2013 to 2026
$60.5M
NIGMS NIH HHS U54 GM104941
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIncreased muscle stiffness is common in cerebral palsy, but accurate and reliable methods for quantitative assessment are not established for cerebral palsy. Magnetic resonance elastography provides a robust approach to mapping skeletal muscle properties. This study aimed to assess muscle morphology and stiffness in the gastrocnemius-soleus complex in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy, comparing more affected and less affected sides, and to legs of typically developing children.

methodsEleven children (age 11.5 ± 4.1 years) with spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy (Gross Motor Function Classification System levels I/II; no botulinum toxin injections within 6 months) and fifteen typically developing children (age 13.1 ± 4.5 years) were prospectively enrolled. Magnetic resonance elastography measured both legs in participants with cerebral palsy and the dominant leg in controls. Additional imaging assessed muscle volume, cross-sectional area, and contractile to non-contractile tissue ratio. Normalized stiffness and anatomical features were compared between groups. Pearson correlations evaluated associations with age and between imaging measures.

findingsNormalized stiffness in soleus was significantly higher in the more affected leg in unilateral cerebral palsy than the less affected leg (471 vs 328 Pa/cm

interpretationResults suggest increased stiffness and reduced contractile tissue in the soleus of the more affected leg in cerebral palsy, supporting the utility of magnetic resonance elastography in characterizing muscle pathology.

Indexed as

Cerebral PalsyElasticity Imaging TechniquesHemiplegiaMagnetic Resonance ImagingMuscle, SkeletalMuscle SpasticityAdolescentCase-Control StudiesChildFemaleHumansMaleBiomechanicsCerebral palsyElastographyIntramuscular fat fractionMuscle morphologyStiffness

Identifiers

PMID41775054
PMCPMC13245252

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.