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Rectus Femoris Distal Tendon Resection Improves Knee Motion in Patients With Spastic Diplegia

  • Symposium: Current Approaches in Cerebral Palsy, A Focus on Gait Problems
  • Published:
Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research®

Abstract

Background

Children with spastic diplegia frequently show excessive knee extension (stiff-knee gait) throughout swing phase, which may interfere with foot clearance. Abnormal rectus femoris activity is commonly associated with a stiff-knee gait. Rectus femoris transfer has been recommended to enhance knee flexion during swing. However, recent studies suggest the transfer does not generate a knee flexor moment but diminishes knee extension moment in swing and MRI studies show the transferred tendons can be constrained by scarring to underlying muscles. Thus, it is possible knee flexion would be improved by distal rectus release rather than transfer since it would not be adherent to the underlying muscles.

Questions/purposes

We therefore determined whether rectus femoris distal tendon resection improves knee ROM and kinematic characteristics of stiff-knee gait in patients with spastic diplegia.

Patients and Methods

We studied 45 patients who underwent rectus femoris distal tendon resection as a part of multilevel surgery. Rectus femoris procedures were indicated based on kinematic characteristics of stiff-knee gait. All patients were walkers and had a mean age at surgery of 13 years (range, 6–22 years). We obtained gait analyses before surgery and at mean 2-year followup. We based postoperative assessment on clinical evaluation and gait analysis data.

Results

At followup, rectus femoris distal tendon resection was associated with improved knee ROM and timing of peak knee flexion in swing, and the absolute values of peak knee flexion became normal for those patients who showed abnormal preoperative values.

Conclusions

Kinematic parameters of stiff-knee gait improved after rectus femoris distal tendon resection. Given the preliminary nature of our report, we intend to study the same patients to assess outcomes at a longer followup.

Level of Evidence

Level IV, therapeutic study. See Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

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Acknowledgment

The authors thank Dr. Franck Fitoussi for assistance regarding the conception of the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Service d’Orthopédie, Hôpital Robert Debré, 48 Boulevard Sérurier, 75019, Paris, France

    Ana Presedo MD, Brice Ilharreborde MD, Keyvan Mazda MD & Georges-François Penneçot MD

  2. Laboratoire d’analyse de la marche et du mouvement, Centre de rééducation fonctionnelle Bois-Larris, Croix Rouge Française, Lamorlaye, France

    Fabrice Megrot PhD

Authors
  1. Ana Presedo MD
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  2. Fabrice Megrot PhD
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  3. Brice Ilharreborde MD
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  4. Keyvan Mazda MD
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  5. Georges-François Penneçot MD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ana Presedo MD.

Additional information

Each author certifies that he or she has no commercial associations (eg, consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing, arrangements, etc.) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article.

Each author certifies that his or her institution waived approval for the human protocol for this investigation and that all investigations were conducted in conformity with ethical principles of research.

This work was performed at Robert Debre Hospital and Motion Analysis Laboratory at Bois Larris Rehabilitation Center.

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Presedo, A., Megrot, F., Ilharreborde, B. et al. Rectus Femoris Distal Tendon Resection Improves Knee Motion in Patients With Spastic Diplegia. Clin Orthop Relat Res 470, 1312–1319 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11999-011-2019-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11999-011-2019-3

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