Journal of General Practice

Congenital Muscular Torticollis: An Overview

Abstract

Antonios G Angoules, Eleni C Boutsikari and Eleni P Latanioti

Congenital Muscular Torticollis (CMT) is a congenital deformity characterized by unilateral shortening of the sternocleidomastoid muscle resulting in lateral inclination of the neck associated with contralateral torsion. It is a relatively common infantile deformity associated with typically favourable prognosis when early detected and treated. Although stretching exercises is still the most common treatment, this therapeutic approach should be applied early in younger subjects to be efficient. Surgical intervention is guaranteed before an established craniofacial asymmetry. The purpose of this is to provide an overview of the current therapeutic approaches with additional analysis of their effectiveness.