National Collaborating Centre for Women's and Children's Health

Selective dorsal rhizotomy
scores across treatment groups was not statistically significant. One RCT reported that, compared
with baseline, GMFM-88 scores for sitting at 24 months were lower in children who received SDR plus
physical therapy compared with those who received physical therapy alone that was not statistically
significant. (MODERATE)
Concerning GMFM-C (crawling and kneeling), one RCT provided evidence that, compared with
baseline, there was a greater improvement in function (evaluated using GMFM-88) at 6 months in
children who received SDR plus physical therapy compared with those who received physical therapy
alone, although the statistical significance of this finding could not be determined. (MODERATE) The
authors reported that the difference in mean final scores across treatment groups was not statistically
significant. One RCT provided evidence that, compared with baseline, there was a greater
improvement in function (evaluated using GMFM, version not reported) at 9 months in children who
received SDR plus physical therapy compared with those who received physical therapy alone,
although the statistical significance of this finding could not be determined. (MODERATE) The authors
did not report the statistical significance of the difference in mean final scores across treatment
groups or of the difference in mean change from baseline scores across treatment groups. Two RCTs
reported results for function (evaluated using GMFM-88) at 12 months. One RCT reported that,
compared with baseline, there was less improvement in function in children who received SDR plus
physical therapy compared with those who received physical therapy alone but that this finding was
not statistically significant. (LOW) The second RCT provided evidence that, compared with baseline,
there was a greater improvement in function in children who received SDR plus physical therapy
compared with those who received physical therapy alone, although the statistical significance of this
finding could not be determined. (LOW) The authors of the second RCT reported that the difference in
mean final scores across treatment groups was not statistically significant. One RCT reported that,
compared with baseline, GMFM-88 scores for crawling and kneeling at 24 months were lower in
children who received SDR plus physical therapy compared with children who received physical
therapy alone that was not statistically significant. (MODERATE)
With regard to GMFM-D, one RCT provided evidence that, compared with baseline, GMFM-88 scores
for standing at 6 months were higher in children who received SDR plus physical therapy compared
with those who received physical therapy alone, although the statistical significance of this finding
could not be determined. (MODERATE) The authors reported that the difference in mean final scores
across treatment groups was statistically significant. One RCT provided evidence that, compared with
baseline, there was a greater improvement in function (evaluated using GMFM, version not reported)
at 9 months in children who received SDR plus physical therapy compared with those who received
physical therapy alone, although the statistical significance of this finding could not be determined.
(MODERATE) The authors did not report the statistical significance of the difference in mean final
scores across treatment groups or of the difference in mean change from baseline scores across
treatment groups.
Two RCTs reported results for function (evaluated using GMFM-88) at 12 months. Both RCTs
reported that, compared with baseline, there were greater improvements in standing in children who
received SDR plus physical therapy compared with those who received physical therapy alone. The
findings for the first RCT were not statistically significant and the statistical significance of the findings
for the second RCT could not be determined. (LOW) The authors of the second RCT reported that the
difference in mean final scores across treatment groups was not statistically significant. One RCT
reported that, compared with baseline, GMFM-88 scores for standing at 24 months were lower in
children who received SDR plus physical therapy compared with those who received physical therapy
alone although this difference was not statistically significant. (MODERATE)
With regard to GMFM-E, one RCT provided evidence that, compared with baseline, there was a
greater improvement in function (evaluated using GMFM-88) at 6 months in children who received
SDR plus physical therapy compared with those who received physical therapy alone, although the
statistical significance of this finding could not be determined. (MODERATE) The authors reported
that the difference in mean final scores across treatment groups was not statistically significant. One
RCT provided evidence that, compared with baseline, there was a greater improvement in function
(evaluated using GMFM, version not reported) at 9 months in children who received SDR plus
physical therapy compared with children who received physical therapy alone, although the statistical
significance of this finding could not be determined. (MODERATE) The authors did not report the
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