Twenty-four children with congenital muscular torticollis, who were treated by the Ferkel'sbitermlinal tenotomy, were evaluated after an average follow-up of 1.4 years. The operativeprocedure was consisted of the biterminal strrnocleidomastoid release and the z-pasty lengthsning of the sternal tendon. Twenty-three patients(96 per cent) reported satisfactory correctionof their head tilt. Z-plasty of the sternal head appears to help in maintenance of the normalcontour of the neck We recommend that biterminal release be performed for those childrenwith severe deformity as well as the secondary facial changes.

To dilrectly coimpare the rigid and flexible jlltrarnedullary nails for the treatment of tibialfractiires, we restrospectively reviewed the clinical result of 108 tibial fractures treated at theEwha Womans University Hospital between January 1987 to June 1993. Twenty-one cases werebelonged to the flexible nail(FN) group, while 87 fractures were included to the rigid(non-locking or interlocking) nail(RN) group.

Average period between the injury and fracture union was overall 17.5 weeks(range, 11-67)and it was much shorter in the RN group(15.2 weeks) than the FN group(29.0). Complicationsduring and after treatment in terms of malunion as well as delayed or non-union, were alsomore common in the FN group. However. deep wound infecctions were only found after rigidnailing.

In conclusion, in view of the fracture union time and comptication rate, rigid nailing showedbetter results than the flexible one. But the flexible nails had several inherent advantages especially ill the technical aspects of their use.