title: Mesh Achilles tendon lengthening--a new method to treat equinus deformity in patients with spastic cerebral palsy: surgical technique and early results.
abstract: Equinus of the ankle is a common deformity in spastic cerebral palsy. Many methods have been developed to lengthen the Achilles tendon to correct the deformity. A new mesh Achilles tendon lengthening (ATL) procedure that might decrease immobilization and promote recovery was performed in 36 tendons with equinus deformity (22 patients, average age=6.2). The results were compared with those of two other methods: the Vulpius group and the Z-lengthening group. The corrected dorsiflexion angle of the ankle at a subsequent 2-year follow-up of the mesh ATL and Vulpius groups matched (25.5±3.0 and 27.1±3.5°, respectively), whereas that of the Z-lengthening group was higher (33.9±3.8°). Nevertheless, statistics of the timing of each patient's readiness to begin rehabilitation and walking as well as gaining better stability for running and one-legged hopping indicated that the mesh ATL group recovered significantly quicker than the Vulpius and Z-lengthening groups. The mesh ATL procedure achieves a successful correction of the equinus deformity in spastic cerebral palsy comparable with that of the Vulpius procedure, with the advantage of preserving the gastrocnemius without a complete section. This confers greater antigravity stability and quicker recovery in patients.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Cheng-Li
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Chii-Jeng
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Ming-Tung
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Wei-Ren
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Tung-Tai
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000125:Achilles Tendon / Q000601:surgery*; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000150:complications*; D002648:Child; D004863:Equinus Deformity / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D058971:Tenotomy / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome