Direct replication: Relationship of upper extremity weight bearing to hand skills of boys with cerebral palsy

The relationship between weight bearing on extended arms and the prehension development of 3 boys with spastic cerebral palsy was studied. The purpose of this study was to conduct a direct replication of a previous study by the same investigator in which a positive relationship between this treatment and the development of prehension abilities was observed. The results of this study, similar to those of the previous study, indicate a positive relationship between the treatment and prehension improvement for both arms of 2 subjects. The 3rd subject showed improvement in one arm; however, the results pertaining to the other arm were inconclusive. Additional systematic replication is warranted to determine whether this technique can be generalized to other therapists, clients, and settings.