ABSTRACT
Objective To compare the advantages and disadvantages of botulinum toxin A (BTX-A) and phenol block in the treatment of spasticity in children with cerebral palsy. Methods Four hundred and twenty children with spastic cerebral palsy were divided into an experimental group (375 cases) and a control group (45 cases).The children were aged from 1 to 22 years ( average age 6 years).The children in the experimental group were treated with BTX-A block at a dosage of 55 to 350 IU (average 130.5 IU).The children in the control group were treated with a 5％ phenol solution block at a dosage of 0.5 to 4.6 ml ( average 2.2 ml).Children of both groups were given systematic functional rehabilitation training. All the children were evaluated with a physician rating scale (PRS) and the modified Ashworth scale (MAS) before and after the blocking.Effectiveness rates,effectiveness durations and side effects rates were calculated. Results Before treatment there was no significant difference in terms of motor disorder or spasticity between the 2 groups.After treatment,spasticity had been significantly reduced in both groups.The effectiveness rate was 98.4％ in the experimental group and 95.6％ in the control group,a difference which was not significant.The average effectiveness duration was ( 24.9 ± 5.76 ) weeks in the experimental group and ( 69.2 ± 13.76) weeks in the control group,significantly longer.The side effects rate was 5.33 ％ in the experimental group and 15.56％ in the control group,also a significant difference. Conclusion BTX-A could be more widely used because of its safety and credibility.