Lay summary
I am a recently qualified Orthopaedic Surgeon whose career aspiration is to work with, and advocate for, young people with neuromuscular conditions and their families. My research will focus on functional outcomes for children and adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP) following surgery. The primary research objectives are to: 1) systematically review current literature on reported outcomes of lower limb orthopaedic surgery; 2) investigate the validity of gait laboratory and clinic assessments of walking ability as a measure of walking performance; and 3) make recommendations for the appropriate assessment and treatment of young people with CP. The principal methodologies are systematic review, prospective observational studies, activity monitoring (objective and subjective) and child/parental reports. Potential health outcomes include the identification of post-surgical measures that reflect the 'real world' of young people and their families, thus allowing targeted treatment/followup leading to an improved quality of life.