Extensibility of hip adductors in children with cerebral palsy

The passive extension of relaxed hip adductor muscles was measured in 20 normal children and 10 children (aged nine to 13 years) with cerebral palsy (CP) by a method that could distinguish between shortening of the muscle body and tendon. No muscle-body contracture occurred in the children with CP during treatment (physiotherapy plus moderate stretching on an apparatus for six hours a day); only the tendons were short. However, four children showed signs of muscle-body contracture after interrupting treatment for six to eight weeks. It is possible that muscle-body contracture can be prevented by non-surgical methods, although tendon shortening can, at present, only be treated surgically.