Serial Casting for the Management of Ankle Contracture in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

In Brief Purpose: To evaluate the effect of serial casting in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Methods: Chart review of 9 patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, mean age 8.9 (±2.1) years. Results: Initial dorsiflexion −6.2° and −5.2° right and left, respectively. The mean improvement was 12° and 11.6° on the right and left (knee extended) and 7.7° and 8.7° on the right and left (knee flexed) or 2.7° and 3.9° per cast, respectively. Times to run 10 m, climb 4 steps, and get off the floor were unchanged. Correlations between range-of-motion change/cast and age were r = −0.86 right and r = −0.84 left. Three patients had delayed onset foot pain; one child had redness with symptom resolution in all cases. Conclusions: Improvement in range of motion with the application of serial casting was found with no loss of function or speed despite the period of immobilization. In this retrospective chart review, improvement in range of motion with the application of serial casting was found with no loss of function or speed despite the period of immobilization.