Acetabular shape and orientation of the spastic hip in children with cerebral palsy

Health-related quality of life after Dega pelvic osteotomy and varus derotation osteotomy due to spastic hip disease in children with cerebral palsy

Purpose

Our study aimed to present health-related quality of life (HRQL) after combined bone reconstruction in nonambulatory patients with cerebral palsy (CP) after at least a 2-year follow-up and to assess its impact on HRQL using the Caregiver Priorities and Child Health Index of Life with Disabilities questionnaire (CPCHILD) as the primary outcome measure.

Methods

In this prospective study, we analyzed 31 nonambulatory patients with spastic or mixed CP (GMFCS levels IV-V) who underwent hip reconstructive surgery between 2015 and 2021. The surgical procedures included one-sided varus derotation osteotomy of the femur with Dega transiliac osteotomy and, on the opposite side, varus derotation osteotomy (VDRO) of the femur with shortening and, as needed, Dega pelvic osteotomy.

Results

The study demonstrated significant improvement in the hip joint motion range, as assessed by the Thomas test, in hip abduction and rotational movements of the hip, as well as reduction of spasticity. The procedures also resulted in significant radiographic improvement of the femoral head coverage. The assessment of symptoms and problems associated with the hip revealed a positive influence of the surgery on pain, contractures, toileting/perineal hygiene, dressing, seating, transferring, and position changes. The mean improvement at a follow-up visit was significant in all domains of the CPCHILD, except for communication and social interaction.

Conclusion

Hip reconstruction with VDRO and Dega pelvic osteotomy can enhance the HRQL of children with CP. These surgical interventions can help to achieve the correct hip position and to reduce pain, which positively affects the patient QL, although proactive treatment results in less invasive procedures.

Level of Evidence

IV case series.

Morphometric assessment of the hip joint in children aged 2-13 years

Our study aimed to evaluate the hip joints of healthy children aged 2-13 years morphometrically through radiographic images. Demographic characteristics of 300 healthy children in our study include an average age of 6.4 years old based on the 2-to-13-year-old bracket and sex classified to 133 girls and 167 boys. A total of 600 normal hips from these children were digitally measured based on Acetabular Index, ACM angle, MZ distance, Sharp angle, CE angle, Femoral Head Coverage Ratio, Cranial, and medial joint space (MJS). *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01 indicated a statistically significant difference. It was found that Acetabular Index, ACM angle, MZ distance, Sharp angle, Cranial, and MJSs decreased with age; Acetabular Depth value and CE angle increased with age; the CE angle differed between the sides (right-left) in the young teens period and in boys; and the cranial joint space (CJS) differed between the sides in girls. In addition, girls had higher values than boys in terms of Acetabular Index, ACM angle, Sharp angle, MZ distance, and Femoral Head Coverage Ratio; CE angle and MJS were higher in girls; and Acetabular Depth Value and CJS did not differ significantly between sexes. Obtaining the normal values will guide in the diagnosis and treatment of many clinical conditions including DDH and Legg-Calve-Perthes disease. It can also be used to compare the hips between healthy children and those diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy.

Operative treatment of the young cerebral palsy hip

Hip dysplasia, subluxation, and eventual hip dislocation are commonly encountered in the cerebral palsy population secondary to spasticity and loss of motor control, especially in those patients with more severe neurologic involvement. The treatment of hip disorders in these patients should take into account the degree of limb and hip involvement, pain severity, and overall functioning. Conservative management focuses on mitigating spasticity and preserving range of motion in order to provide an environment in which the femoral head remains concentrically reduced in the acetabulum. However, operative management, consisting of soft tissue or tendon releases, femoral or pelvic osteotomies, or hip salvage procedures, is sometimes necessary to treat the painful, subluxated, or dislocated hip. Radiographic hip surveillance in the pediatric cerebral palsy population is used to guide operative treatment. Long term hip containment is generally improved when surgical intervention is performed in the earlier stages of dysplasia. Younger patients who demonstrate progressive hip subluxation despite conservative measures may be carefully selected to undergo soft tissue procedures. Bony reconstruction, with adjunctive soft tissue procedures, is often necessary to better contain the proximal femur in patients above the age of four years.