In a ten-year study in patients with cerebral palsy, fifty patients had
ninety-eight adductor transfers and fifty-two patients had 102 adductor
tenotomies with or without obturator neurectomy. The groups were similar
with regard to severity of their disease, age, and associated concomitant
surgery. Results were evaluated in three ways: functional change, change in
passive motion of the hip, and change in stability of the hip. Our data
support the view that although the adductor transfer operation takes longer
and is associated with a higher incidence of postoperative drainage, the
over-all improvement is greater and is maintained better than that after
adductor tenotomy with or without neurectomy. The transferred muscle
provides greater pelvic stability, decreases hip-flexion contractures, and
reduces instability of the hip.