A treatise on orthopedic surgery . untilthe child begins to use thefoot, when the peculiar help-lessness calls attention to thedisability, if the diagnosishas not been made it is that equinus maybe present when the child isstill in arms, while the op-posite deformity developsmuch more slowly. Habitual Posture There are other cases in which everyvestige of muscular power islost and in which the footdangles. In this class thereis no functional activity ortonic contraction of the mus-cles ; consequently deformityis slow in making its appear-ance ; it is not often extreme,and it become
A treatise on orthopedic surgery . untilthe child begins to use thefoot, when the peculiar help-lessness calls attention to thedisability, if the diagnosishas not been made it is that equinus maybe present when the child isstill in arms, while the op-posite deformity developsmuch more slowly. Habitual Posture There are other cases in which everyvestige of muscular power islost and in which the footdangles. In this class thereis no functional activity ortonic contraction of the mus-cles ; consequently deformityis slow in making its appear-ance ; it is not often extreme,and it becomes fixed only bythe structural shortening ofinactive tissues, the liga-ments, fascise, and the atro-phied muscles. There are, ofcourse, other causes for habit-ual posture than the forceof gravity and muscular ac-tion, such as, for example, the position of convenience inwhich a weak or disabled part might be placed, but such causesof deformity may be considered as instances of functional useor rather of adaptation to local Anterior poliomyelitis. After sevenyears. Showing atrophy and slight lat-eral curvature of the spine ; two and aquarter inches of shortening. DISEASES OF TEE NEBVOUS SYSTEM. 633 Functional Use as a Cause of Deformity.—Thus far the force ofgravity, iinbalancecl muscular power, and the structural changesin the tissues have been considered in the etiology of deformityas it might develop in infanc}. When, however, the patientstands and walks, existing deformities are exaggerated and con-firmed by the weight of the body falling on the unbalancedpart, and by the action of the muscles in the attempt to supplythe function of those that are paralyzed. Thus it is that thedeformity develops far more rapidly when a fair amount ofmuscular power remains than whenit is completely lost. (SeeTalipes.) Subluxation.—Aside from the distortions due to the cases thathave been mentioned, there are others induced simply by weak-ness; for example, laxity of ligaments and
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