Prognostic Factors in Recurrent Congenital Muscular Torticollis

Congenital muscular torticollis (CMT), primarily resulting from unilateral shortening and fibrosis of the sternocleidomastoid muscle. One of the common surgical complications is recurrent deformity. However, the associations between unipolar or bipolar release, age of the patient, and the recurrence of the disease are unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the factors associated with recurrence after surgery.

A retrospective review was performed in 47 patients who were diagnosed with CMT and had been treated surgically with unipolar or bipolar release between January 2007 and December 2015. Demographic data (sex, sides, surgical technique, age at time of surgery, period of follow-up, complications and recurrence) were recorded.

Forty-seven patients with an average age of 8.7 years old at time of surgery. Twenty-six patients had right-sided muscular torticollis, while 21 had left-sided. The average follow-up time was 2 years (range, 2-4 years). The average age of unipolar release was 8.8 years old (range, 218 years old), while the average age of bipolar release was 8.7 years old (range, 2-13 years old). Recurrence occurred in 11 patients (9 in unipolar and 2 in bipolar release). Sex, side of deformity, type of surgery and age at time of surgery showed no statistically significant as a factor for recurrence rate, however recurrence of unipolar more than bipolar surgery was nearly two times revealing clinical significance.

Sex, side of deformity, type of surgery and age at time of surgery were not associated with the recurrence deformity.