[Statistical study of the basic angle and intensity of spasm in functional esotropia (surgical consequences)]

In esotropia surgery all statistical results give the correlation between the amount of the operative correction and the angle of deviation; but this last entity is without value, because a consistent deviation nearly ever exists in spite of protracted medical management; indeed it is usual to notice large spatial variations. In a prospective series of 122 cases the authors have carefully studied the basic angle, the amount of angular variations which give evidence of the strength of spasm, the deep narcosis angle and the muscle elongation test. The various statistical correlations are analyzed. It appears that the basic angle and the strength of spasm are two essential connected but distinct characteristics of innervational imbalance, and it is necessary to carefully evaluate each one. There exists a highly significant correlation between the degree of innervational troubles and the frequency of visco-elastic impairments. The authors make several statements about medical management, early surgery and one-step surgery. They give new guidelines for their operative plan with the Faden operation.