[Treatment of complications of intramuscular injection of quinine salts in Africa]

Intramuscular injection of quinine is a mainstay treatment for malaria in children. However it can lead to severe orthopedic complications including sciatic paralysis after intragluteal injection and quadriceps contracture after intraquadricipital injection. This report based on a 98-case series of complications following intramuscular quinine injection that were treated surgically in 88 cases describes clinical findings with special emphasis on the severity. Therapeutic alternatives for these complications are presented and discussed including the use of medial release or double subtalar and midtarsal arthrodesis for correction of foot deformity in function of age. Correction may be associated with anterolateral transposition of the posterior tibialis tendon that is generally not paralyzed. For correction of complications involving the knee, the authors recommend extended proximal quadriceps release that is more invasive but achieves better results than lengthening plasty of the distal quadriceps.