[Our experience in the treatment of deformations of the knee joint in arthrogryposis].

During the past 12 years the authors have observed 96 children with deformations of the knee joints associated with arthrogryposis. 54 children were given surgical treatment. The deformations of the knee joints were eliminated differently with regard to the severity of the deformations. In 27 children with correct correlations between the femur and the tibia the deformations of the knee joints (39) were corrected by the method of compression and distraction. In severe cases the contractures of the knee joints (30) with impaired correlations of the bones in the children over 5-6 years of age the compression and distraction method was combined with the open reduction of the dislocation of the bones of the crus and lavsan plasty of the retracted musculus rectus femori and the ligaments of the articulation. The long-term results of the surgical treatment of arthrogryposis deformations of the knee joints (1 to 12 years) were studied in 48 children. As the result of these surgical interventions 45 children began to move on their own.