Spasticity reduction by rhizotomy does not lead to reduced energy consumption

The average energy consumption of children with cerebral palsy (CP) during walking is over two times that of typically-developing (TD) children. Spasticity is often theorized to contribute to this increased energy. We retrospectively analyzed energy consumption of individuals who underwent surgical intervention to reduce spasticity. While spasticity was significantly reduced after surgery, energy consumption did not change more than in children who did not receive surgery, suggesting a weak causal link between spasticity and energy consumption during gait.