Targeting the plantaris tendon during surgery to correct ankle equinus in children

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

Children aged 4–17 with ankle equinus from conditions such as idiopathic toe walking or neuromotor disorders who are scheduled for calf-lengthening surgery at Stollery Children's Hospital will be enrolled. Participants are assigned to surgical approaches that either include a targeted plantaris tenotomy or do not, alongside standard tendoachilles lengthening or gastrocnemius recession, and outcomes are measured before and after surgery. Clinical measures include ankle range of motion, gait function, and calf muscle strength, with bilateral data collected when applicable but a single assignment per participant. The study seeks to determine whether targeting the plantaris alters recovery, strength recovery, and short- to medium-term walking outcomes.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria (All of the following criteria must be met):

* Ability to provided informed consent/assent in English.
* Pediatric patients (4-17 years) who have consented for surgery for the management of equinus contracture \* (either TA lengthening or GN recession) at the Stollery Children's Hospital
* Known underlying diagnosis of any of the following: idiopathic toe walking, cerebral palsy, hereditary spastic paraparesis, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury/tethering, hereditary sensory-motor neuropathy, stroke
* Ability to maintain hindfoot and midfoot neutral during assessment
* Passive plantarflexion on affected side greater than 20° and greater than degree of equinus contracture.

  * Note: may be isolated or in conjunction with other orthopaedic procedures; in bilateral ankle equinus procedures, data will be collected bilaterally, but included as a single participant (i.e., single randomization).

Exclusion Criteria (Any one or more of the following):

* Unable to provide informed consent/assent in English.
* Previous surgery for equinus
* Limb deficiency on affected side
* Knee flexion contracture of greater than 5°
* Surgical intervention of the lower extremities below the affected knee in the last twelve months
* BoNTA injections below the affected knee within the last six months
* Known or suspected arthrofibrosis.

Where it's running

• Stollery Children's Hospital
  Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Recruiting

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Sukhdeep Dulai, MD, MHSc, FRCSC — University of Alberta
• Study coordinator: Ailar Ramadi, PhD
• Email: Ailar.Ramadi@albertahealthservices.ca
• Phone: 780-492-2398

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.