Goal Specific Outcomes of Rectus Femoris Transfers in Children with Cerebral Palsy Based on Stance-Phase Characteristics

Introduction Some have assessed outcomes of rectus femoris transfers in children with Cerebral Palsy by grouping patients according to their functional level of ambulation [1,2]. However, it is thought that the biomechanics leading to knee flexion in swing will differ depending on stance phase characteristics [3,4]. A previous study, grouping patients into three stance-phase groups, showed differences in outcomes (peak knee flexion, timing, and swing range) between the groups[5]. Although these differences were not statistically significant, we feel they are of clinical significance, due to the inherent differences between the groups (based on stance-phase kinematics). It is the purpose of this study to determine goal specific outcomes of rectus transfers based on pre-operative stance-phase kinematics in order to provide a framework for outcome prediction in future patients with similar characteristics.