Latissimus dorsi transfer for external rotation weakness of the shoulder in obstetric brachial plexus palsy

This report describes the results of latissimus dorsi transfer for weakness of shoulder external rotation in 12 children with obstetric brachial plexus palsy. Selection criteria for the muscle transfer procedure included good passive external rotation of the shoulder, normal skeletal development of the shoulder joint, and adequate power of the deltoid. In addition to measuring the ranges of motion of joints before and after surgery, a modified Mallet grading system was utilized for the functional assessment of shoulder external rotation. At a mean follow-up of 4 years, two of the 12 children had recurrence of the shoulder deformity. In the remaining 10 children, the mean active external rotation was 30degrees (range, 20-60degrees), mean shoulder abduction was 140 (range, 90-170degrees), and all children had achieved a modified Mallet score of 4.