Posterior iliopsoas muscle transfer in myelodysplasia

A Sharrard posterior iliopsoas muscle-transfer procedure was done in forty-two hips of twenty-four children with myelodysplasia. Folow-up ranged from twenty-nine months to approximately ten years. An over-all success rate of 50 per cent was achieved which included all hips operated on for potential and existing instability. The success rate for surgery in hips with an existing instability was 29.6 per cent. Factors predisposing to a poor result were: age more than five years old, dysplastic acetabulum (index more than 30 degrees), prior hip surgery, and inequality of limb length. This operation is recommended primarily for hips not previously operated on in children less than five years old who have a normal acetabular index. If the child is more than five years old or if acetabular dysplasia exists, reconstruction of the acetabulum should precede or accompany the tendon transfer for best results. Iliopsoas muscle transfer is unlikely to be successful if used as a salvage procedure.