The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Vol 64, Issue 9 1282-1294, Copyright © 1982 by Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Inc
Orthopaedic management of lumbosacral agenesis. Long-term follow-up
WA Phillips, DR Cooperman, TC Lindquist, RC Sullivan and EA Millar
Twenty-two patients with lumbosacral agenesis were treated at the Shriners
Hospital for Crippled Children, Chicago Unit, from 1953 to 1979. At the
time of this study, ten of the patients were skeletally mature after an
average follow-up of 24.1 years. Two patients had died, twelve could be
examined, and eight who were unable to return for examination responded to
a questionnaire. Eleven of the patients had diabetic mothers. Of the
orthopaedic problems in these patients, knee-flexion contractures with
popliteal webbing were the most difficult to correct. These deformities
varied in severity with the level of the agenesis and the resulting loss of
motor power. Other problems were dislocations and flexions contractures of
the hips, scoliosis, equinovarus deformities of the foot, and instability
at the spinal-pelvic junction. When there was inadequate quadriceps
function it was difficult to correct knee-flexion contractures and to
prevent them from recurring. For severe knee deformity, knee
disarticulation and prosthetic fitting were the most effective treatment.
Spinal-pelvic instability was not a problem in eighteen of the twenty
surviving patients. Unreduced dislocated hips also did not cause any
problems.