Serious Complications Of Cerebral Palsy

Contracture

Cerebral palsy patients may develop contracture as a complication. This is a deformity that occurs when the connective tissues of an individual's body constrict and become stiff. Tissues that can be affected by contracture include joint capsules, ligaments, muscles, tendons, and skin. This complication can manifest as difficulty stretching the legs, moving the hands, and straightening the fingers.

There are several ways cerebral palsy can cause patients to experience this complication. The muscle of individuals with this disorder is structurally altered with fibers that have a small diameter, reduced muscle body size, and overly stretched sarcomeres. In addition, their muscle tissue has an abnormal arrangement of connective tissue and an altered extracellular matrix. Most of these abnormalities are caused by altered gene expression and a deficiency of muscle stem cells.