Surgery

Surgery is required in neuro-orthopedics when none of the non-surgical (conservative) methods have achieved the desired outcome. Reasons for surgery are, for instance, deformities which prevent further development, increasing pain or when a patient becomes increasingly difficult to care for.

There is a difference between surgery which is necessary because of congenital diseases and surgery to treat underlying neurological diseases. Surgery for the treatment of movement disorders is called functional surgery. The priority here is to correct the function of the limbs by rebalancing the muscles.

In neuro-orthopedic surgery we distinguish between soft tissue surgery and bone surgery. Tendon and muscle lengthening belongs in the category of soft tissue surgery. Osteotomy for valgus and varus deformity of the knees (knock knees and bow legs) is an operation on the bones. In some cases both methods have to be combined.

In surgery with reduction of the hip after luxation such as may occur in infantile cerebral palsy (ICP), osteotomy often has to be performed in order to correct the femur (varus derotation osteotomy) and re-shape the acetabulum (acetabuloplasty). In these cases rebalancing of the muscles (adductors, psoas, rectus) is also often necessary. [Info]