Evaluation and Surgical Management of Adult Spastic Hip and Knee Deformities

» Thorough patient presurgical counseling should emphasize individual patient goals, which may include improving ambulation, reducing reliance on orthoses, alleviating pain, or facilitating caregiver support.» Careful physical examination is essential to differentiate whether the primary cause of dysfunction is weakness, spasticity, or both.» Diagnostic adjuncts including botulinum toxin, short-acting blocks, instrumented gait analysis, and dynamic electromyography provide valuable insight and guide operative decisions.» Surgical treatment must be individualized, with nerve-based procedures indicated for pure spasticity and tendon lengthening, tenotomy, or joint procedures being required to treat soft tissue and joint contractures.