Surgical Treatment of Congenital Muscular Torticollis: Significant Improvement in Health-related Quality of Life Among a 2-year Follow-up Cohort of Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults

Abstract

Objective: Surgical treatment of congenital muscular torticollis (CMT) has been proven clinically effective in cases that fail to normalize after conservative treatment, but reports on self-reported outcome and quality of life have been scarce. This study aimed to assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in children, adolescents, and young adults undergoing surgical treatment for CMT, comparing HRQoL with clinical outcomes. Methods: We conducted a level 2 prospective observational study on a surgically treated CMT cohort at a single tertiary center. The surgeries focused on releasing all tightness, and the medial head was routinely elongated to preserve cosmetic function. Patients underwent rigorous pre/postoperative assessments and follow-up. A strict postoperative protocol entailing stretching, physiotherapy, and positional exercises was adhered to for a minimum of 6 months. The Cheng and Tang torticollis scoring system and PedsQLTM 4.0 generic core scales were used to evaluate clinical outcome and HRQoL, respectively. Results: The study included 31 patients, averaging 11.4 years. Significant improvements in range of motion, deformities, and overall subjective satisfaction were observed 2 years postoperatively. The Cheng and Tang score improved overall significantly from fair (9.9 points) to excellent (17.9 points) after 2 years (P<0.001). The oldest patients showed less improvement than the youngest ones, especially regarding craniofacial asymmetry (P=0.004). Patient PedsQL scores significantly improved 2 years post-surgery (P=0.040), with no discernable age differences. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrated significant improvements in both HRQoL and clinical outcomes after surgical treatment of CMT. The PedsQL score seemed sensitive to the clinical changes.