Correction of equinus in cerebral palsy by the Murphy procedure of tendo calcaneus advancement: a preliminary communication.
The biomechanics of the Murphy procedure for correction of equinus in cerebral palsy are presented.  A series of 79 surgical procedures on 48 patients, with a follow-up period of from one to four years, is reviewed.  Correction of equinus was succeswful in 89-9 per cent of the procedures.  Using the Murphy procedure the following advantages over other methods of correction are anticipated: (1) no loss on 'push-off' in gait; (2) no loss of correction (recurrence) during longitudinal growth of the child, necessitating repeated surgery; and (3) no need for continual night bracing during the growth period.
D000125:Achilles Tendon / Q000601:surgery*; D002370:Casts, Surgical; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000150:complications*; D003025:Clubfoot / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005684:Gait; D006801:Humans; D013536:Suture Techniques; D013709:Tendon Transfer / Q000379:methods*