The untreated unstable hip in severe cerebral palsy.

The incidence of pain and other complications associated with the untreated spastic dislocated or subluxed hip was investigated in 80 institutionalized patients. The average patient age was 19 years, and the average length of follow-up study was 12 years. Eighty-five percent of the patients had scoliosis, and 56% had significant pelvic obliquity. A dislocated hip predisposed to lower extremity fractures but did not present problems of pain, decubitus ulcers, or difficulties with perineal hygiene. The loss of sitting balance, scoliosis, and pelvic obliquity are correlated with the severity of neurologic involvement rather than with the mechanics of a dislocated hip.