Cerebral Palsy - Spastic Diplegia

Spastic diplegia (or diparesis)

Spastic Diplegia is a type of Cerebral Palsy that involves spasticity in the legs. Seventy to eighty percent of people with cerebral palsy have spasticity. In spastic diplegia, the main effect is found in both legs. In spastic hemiplegia, one side of the person's body is affected. Spastic quadriplegia affects a person's whole body (face, trunk, legs, and arms).

The terms di  means two and plegia or paresis, mean paralyzed or weak. Thus, spastic diplegia/diparesis means muscle stiffness which weakens either both arms or both legs.

Most cases of spastic diplegia primarily affect the legs, although the arms and face may also have problems which are not as pronounced. Muscles in the child’s hips, legs and feet are tight and hyperactive. The most noticeable feature is a scissor-like gait where the knees nearly touch, ankles turn outward, and the legs move like the arms of scissors. Children with spastic diplegia involving the legs may require leg braces or a walker. They may also experience some clumsiness when manipulating objects with their hands. About 75% of those affected with spastic diplegia cerebral palsy have eye problems such as strabismus where one eye turns in or out due to weakness of the eye muscles. Language and intellect tend to be normal.

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