Hip adductor transfer compared with adductor tenotomy in cerebral palsy

In a ten-year study in patients with cerebral palsy, fifty patients had ninety-eight adductor transfers and fifty-two patients had 102 adductor tenotomies with or without obturator neurectomy. The groups were similar with regard to severity of their disease, age, and associated concomitant surgery. Results were evaluated in three ways: functional change, change in passive motion of the hip, and change in stability of the hip. Our data support the view that although the adductor transfer operation takes longer and is associated with a higher incidence of postoperative drainage, the over-all improvement is greater and is maintained better than that after adductor tenotomy with or without neurectomy. The transferred muscle provides greater pelvic stability, decreases hip-flexion contractures, and reduces instability of the hip.