An Operation to Relieve Paralysis of the Deltoid Muscle

Paralysis of the deltoid muscle is probably the most common disability in the upper extremity following infantile paralysis. The disability may be permanent. Several procedures have been designed for its relief, the most satisfactory of which is arthrodesis of the scapulohumeral articulation. Bradford, Legg, Mayer and others have advocated muscle transplants, some of which were attended with fair functional improvement. In these operations, either the trapezius or the pectoralis major muscle has been utilized. In children arthrodesis is not particularly satisfactory, because the weight of the arm causes the humerus to bend downward either at the joint or at the epiphyseal line. If there is complete paralysis of the deltoid and good to normal power in the biceps and triceps, I use these two muscles in the following manner: A saber incision is made over the shoulder, the anterior leg extending down over the anteromedial aspect of the arm for