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Dorsal Rhizotomy Procedures

Children with cerebral palsy experience constant muscle contractions, or spasticity, in their extremities because of their brains' failure to regulate proper muscle function. Selective dorsal rhizotomy is a lower spinal cord surgery performed to reduce muscle contractions and enhance muscle function.

  1. Sugical Indications

    • Muscle tone is maintained by sensory nerves running from the muscles to the spinal cord and motor nerves running from the spinal cord back to the muscles. When the brain fails to decrease muscle contractions and allow fluid motion, cutting malfunctioning sensory nerves within the spinal cord may ease spasticity.

    Surgical Procedure

    • According to the Cleveland Clinic, neurosurgeons access the spinal cord nerves by making a 4- to 6-inch incision across the lower back. They locate and separate the nerves into rootlets and use electric stimulation to determine those causing spasticity. Malfunctioning sensory rootlets are cut to decrease muscle tightness. Muscle function remains because motor nerves running from the spinal cord back to the muscle remain intact.

    Surgical Goals

    • For children with some ability to walk, the surgical goal is to improve gait and muscle function. Success requires extensive physical therapy following surgery. Surgery may help severely immobilized children become more independent by allowing them to use a potty seat or operate a power wheelchair unassisted.

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