Associations Between Congenital Muscular Torticollis Severity and Physical Therapy Episode.

PURPOSE To determine how physical therapy utilization varies with Congenital Muscular Torticollis (CMT) Severity Grading Scale, considering episode of care and clinical practice guidelines. METHODS A 3-year retrospective medical record review was conducted. Data were collected for 81 infants receiving physical therapy for CMT. Sample and service characteristics are described; 46 complete records (infants 6 months or younger) were analyzed to determine how physical therapy utilization varied across severity grades. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Of the 46 infants with complete care episodes, half had fully resolved all asymmetries. Units billed, episode duration, and total visits each increased across CMT severity grades 1 to 3. Cervical rotation restrictions correlated with total units billed, indicating a positive relationship between CMT severity and service utilization. WHAT THIS ADDS TO THE EVIDENCE This study supports that as CMT severity increases, physical therapy utilization increases for grades 1 to 3 of the 2018 CMT Severity Grading Scale.