Surgical correction of muscular torticollis in the older child.

Thirty-three children between 6 and 16 years of age who were treated for muscular torticollis were followed up from 2 to 10.5 years after surgery. All patients had a distal open release of the sternocleidomastoid muscle. Preoperative and postoperative assessment by a rigid scoring system showed that all patients improved in terms of function as well as cosmesis. Children less than 12 years of age showed the most improvement, with 71% excellent and good results. Late release of the sternomastoid in muscular torticollis can, therefore, give acceptable results.