Abstract
Gastrocnemius recessions have been performed as open or endoscopic procedures. Most of the literature describes the outcomes of these procedures in children with specific neurologic limitations. We report an alternative approach to endoscopic gastrocnemius recessions in neurologically healthy pediatric and adolescent patients whose gastrocnemius equinus could not be corrected nonoperatively. We prospectively followed 23 patients (16 boys, seven girls) who underwent 40 procedures for equinus deformity (n = 22) or osteoarthritis (n = 1). All patients had been directly referred for surgical treatment because all previous nonoperative treatments (stretching, night splints, orthotics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and physical therapy) had failed. The indications for surgery were patients age 18 years or younger experiencing symptomatic equinus unresponsive to nonoperative care. Pre- and postoperative ankle dorsiflexion were measured. The minimum followup for study inclusion was 1 year (mean, 2.9 years; range, 2–5.1 years). For every patient, dorsiflexion range of motion improved (mean, 15°; standard deviation, 4°). No patient had diminished nerve sensation postoperatively. This technique can be used to correct gastrocnemius equinus in otherwise healthy children who have not benefited from prior nonsurgical treatment.
Level of Evidence: Level IV, therapeutic study. See Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
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Acknowledgments
We thank Emil Zager, DPM for his assistance with data collection.
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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 has approved the human protocol for this investigation and that all investigations were conducted in conformity with ethical principles of research.
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Grady, J.F., Kelly, C. Endoscopic Gastrocnemius Recession for Treating Equinus in Pediatric Patients. Clin Orthop Relat Res 468, 1033–1038 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11999-009-1084-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11999-009-1084-3