RECTUS FEMORIS SURGERY IN CHILDREN WITH CEREBRAL-PALSY .2. A COMPARISON BETWEEN THE EFFECT OF TRANSFER AND RELEASE OF THE DISTAL RECTUS FEMORIS ON KNEE MOTION
S. Ounpuu et al., RECTUS FEMORIS SURGERY IN CHILDREN WITH CEREBRAL-PALSY .2. A COMPARISON BETWEEN THE EFFECT OF TRANSFER AND RELEASE OF THE DISTAL RECTUS FEMORIS ON KNEE MOTION, Journal of pediatric orthopedics, 13(3), 1993, pp. 331-335
Rectus femoris muscle (RF) surgery was performed in 98 children (136 s
ides) with cerebral palsy (CP). RF transfer was performed in 105 lower
limbs, and distal RF release was performed in 31. Eleven (20 sides) s
imilarly affected children had no RF procedure and are included for co
mparison. Gait analysis was performed just before and approximately 1
year after surgery. All children underwent other orthopaedic surgery a
t the time of the RF procedure. When preoperative knee range of motion
(ROM) was >80% of normal, there were no significant changes in knee m
otion in either the RF transfer or distal release groups. In patients
with <80% of normal knee ROM preoperatively, RF transfer was followed
by maintained knee flexion in swing; patients who underwent distal RF
release or no RF procedure showed a decrease (10-degrees and 6-degrees
, respectively) in knee flexion postoperatively. These results suggest
that the RF should be transferred and not released when knee ROM is <
80%.