Operative treatment of congenital muscular torticollis: long term results of myotomy

Myotomy was performed in 40 patients under 10 years of age with typical congenital muscular torticollis. Follow-up studies were carried out on 29 out of 40 cases. The patients without muscle relief of the affected sternomastoid muscle after myotomy had good range of motion of the neck. On the other hand, the patients who had undergone muscle release had, to grater or lesser extent, disturbances of the range of movement. For complete release of contracture, total excision may be the only operation in younger cases.