Transposition of the flexors on the femoral condyles in the treatment of infantile cerebral paralysis [SULLA TRASPOSIZIONE DEI FLESSORI SUI CONDILI FEMORALI NELLA CURA DELLE PARALISI CEREBRALI INFANTILI]

The problem of triple flexion of the lower extremity in infantile cerebral paralysis is considered, and a variation to Eggers' technique proposed, involving the detachment of the distal insertions of the gastrocnemius muscles, capsulotomy, and transposition of the tendons of the sectioned flexors to the upturned proximal insertions of the gastrocnemius muscles. The action of the patella alar ligaments in the etiology of knee flexions is not recognized. The proposed technique, employed only in the most serious cases, has given excellent results, evaluated as a function of the degree of hip extension and knee extension and the presence of foot equinus. In support of the validity of this new technique, the fact that postoperative curving of the knee appears only in an irrelevant percentage of cases is considered significant.