PROGRESSIVE COXA VALGA AFTER CHILDHOOD EXCISION OF THE HIP ABDUCTOR MUSCLES

To our knowledge, progressive coxa valga, femoral anteversion, and hip subluxation after surgical resection of soft tissue tumors of the glu teal muscles have not been described. The importance of this paper is to document proximal femoral deformity and hip subluxation in children after tumor resection of the hip abductor muscles, to provide guideli nes for diagnosis and management of this problem, and to avoid late co mplications of progressive joint incongruity. Late deformity was seen in two cases after limb salvage surgery for a soft tissue buttock tumo r. In both cases, the gluteus medius and minimus muscles were complete ly resected and the tenser fascia lata and gluteus maximus were partia lly resected. The ages of the patients at initial treatment were 4 mon ths old and 5 years old, and both patients were followed for a minimum of 4 years. Valgus deformity was seen as early as 15 months. One pati ent has had a varus osteotomy to correct severe coxa valga and hip sub luxation; the other patient with moderate deformity is being followed clinically and radiographically.