Supracondylar femoral osteotomy for knee flexion contracture resulting from poliomyelitis.

Supracondylar femoral osteotomy was performed on 82 patients between 8 and 25 years of age to correct knee flexion contractures of 15 to 95 degrees resulting from poliomyelitis. Seven who could not walk before the osteotomy could do so afterwards and 21 out of22 patients were cured ofa hand-knee gait. Thirty-four of53 who walked with a caliper were able to discard it. Residual flexion contractures of5 to 20 degrees were found in 12 patients, while genu recurvatum of 5 to 30 degrees occurred in 10 patients.