[Treatment of stiff-knee gait by distal rectus femoris transfer]
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Derya Hakan Uçar1, Zekeriya Uğur Işiklar, Yücel Tümer
1Ankara Ortopedi ve Travmatoloji Tedavi Merkezi, Turkey. h.ucar@superonline.com
Objectives:
We evaluated the preliminary results of distal rectus femoris transfer in patients with stiff-knee gait due to cerebral palsy.
Methods:
Eight knees of four patients who had stiff-knee gait due to cerebral palsy were treated by distal rectus femoris transfer. All the patients were females with a mean age of 11 years (range 9.5 to 12 years). Preoperatively and postoperatively, lower extremity examinations, the Ely test, and clinical gait analyses were performed. Satisfaction levels of the patients and their families were questioned. The mean follow-up was 17.5 months (range 3 to 23 months).
Results:
None of the patients manifested flexion contracture of their hips and knees postoperatively. The Ely test was negative in all patients. There were no clinical signs of stiff-knee gait. All the patients and their families but one expressed their satisfaction with clinical and functional results.
Conclusion:
Our clinical results suggest that distal rectus femoris transfer is effective in the treatment of stiff-knee gait due to cerebral palsy.
