Methods of tendomuscular plasty for the management of upper extremity deformities in children with infantile cerebral palsy (review)

The review covers the published studies on the management of upper extremity deformities in children with infantile cerebral palsy distributed in PubMed, PubMed Central, eLibrary resources. The concept of 'spastic arm' includes 'inward rotation' contracture of the shoulder joint, flexion contracture of the elbow joint, ulnar contracture of the wrist joint as well as finger joints. The pathology pattern of the upper extremity impedes grasping, gripping, manipulating, and lowering the objects, inhibits the development of individual skills for daily routine and full participation in social life, education, and leisure. The methods of tendomuscular plasty are a part of the comprehensive treatment of children with this diagnosis. However, the choice of the patients and the type of the surgery as well as the assessment of the outcomes remain unsettled issues. The contemporary researches on the subject are retrospective and descriptive. Designing the detailed algorithms for the management of the patients with spastic upper extremity is a promising trend aimed at facilitating the practice for orthopedic surgeons and enhancing the outcomes in this cohort of patients.