Distal femoral extension and shortening osteotomy as a part of multilevel surgery in children with cerebral palsy

Background There are several reports describing an increase in anterior pelvic tilt after hamstring lengthening in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Distal femoral extension and shortening osteotomy (DFESO) is an alternative treatment for correction of flexed knee gait, but investigations analyzing outcome and influence on adjacent joint are few in the literature. The purpose of this study was to analyze the influence of DFESO on knee and pelvis in children with CP. Furthermore, it was of interest if an additional patellar tendon advancement (PA) influences outcome. Methods In this retrospective study, 31 limbs of 22 children (GMFCS I-III; mean age: 12.1±3.1 years), who received DFESO were included and kinematic parameters (knee, pelvis) measured by 3-D-gait analysis were compared before and at least 1 year after surgery (mean follow-up period: 15.6 months). Results After surgery, during stance phase minimum knee flexion improved significantly by 20.5° ( P