Treatment of spastic equinus by aponeurosis lengthening.

The aponeurosis lengthening described in this study was performed on 156 patients (219 procedures) with spastic equinus deformities. There was only one wound complication and no calcaneus deformities from overlengthening. The recurrence rate requiring relengthening was high (48% of the procedures), particularly if the initial operation was performed before the age of 5 years. The length of postoperative immobilization did not affect the recurrence rate. The aponeurosis lengthening technique described is a simple lengthening of the aponeurosis, leaving the soleus largely intact without the use of internal sutures. It has a negligible complication rate, but a high rate of recurrent equinus.