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Neuropediatrics 2023; 54(06): 397-401
DOI: 10.1055/a-2021-0202
Short Communication

Gait is not Affected by Hemispherotomy—Case Report from Two Children

Nathalie Alexander 
1   Laboratory for Motion Analysis, Department of Paediatric Orthopaedics, Children's Hospital of Eastern Switzerland, Street Gallen, Switzerland
2   Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Cantonal Hospital, St. Gallen, Switzerland
,
Johannes Cip
3   Department of Paediatric Orthopaedics, Children's Hospital of Eastern Switzerland, St. Gallen, Switzerland
,
Elisabeth Müller
4   Department of Paediatric Neurology, Children's Hospital of Eastern Switzerland, St. Gallen, Switzerland
,
Katrin Lengnick-Lampadius
4   Department of Paediatric Neurology, Children's Hospital of Eastern Switzerland, St. Gallen, Switzerland
,
Philip Julian Broser
5   Medical Faculty, University of Basel, Switzerland
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Abstract

In children with therapy refractory epilepsy, the functional disconnection of one hemisphere (hemispherotomy) may be considered as a treatment option. The visual field defects and hand function effects associated with the procedure have been extensively studied. However, the effect of the hemispherotomy on gait pattern has thus far only been analyzed qualitatively, and there is limited quantitative data. At the Children's Hospital, we regularly perform standardized quantitative gait analysis studies and care for children with complex epilepsies. During the standard routine of care for two children with structural therapy refractory epilepsy, gait analysis was performed prior to and after hemispherotomy. Both patients had prenatal ischemic brain lesions, had developed severe epilepsy during the first 3 years of life, and were treated with the hemispherotomy at about 7 years of age. Interestingly, one patient did not show any changes in gait pattern, while for the other patient, differences could be observed by means of three-dimensional gait analysis. However, greater deviations to controls postoperatively may also be related to day-to-day variability.

Keywords

gait pattern - hemispherotomy - bilateral projection - cortico-spinal tract

Supplementary Material



Publication History

Received: 18 October 2022

Accepted: 22 January 2023

Accepted Manuscript online:
27 January 2023

Article published online:
07 March 2023

© 2023. Thieme. All rights reserved.

Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Rüdigerstraße 14, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany

 

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