[Appearance of spastic hip pain in cerebral palsy children]

Pain is a serious complication in the development of spastic dislocation of the hip joint, sometimes determining future of the patient, limiting the degree of his independence and comfort of his life.

Determination of 1. the frequency of appearance of lower limbs' pain among patients with subluxation and dislocation of the hip joint in the course of spastic form of cerebral palsy; 2. the influence of the surgical treatment on pain development.

We analysed 82 patients (126 spastic hips) treated between 1970 to 1995 with spastic form of cerebral palsy. Patients were divided into 3 groups according to the degree of hip instability and the performed method of treatment. Group 1-41 patients (77 spastic hips) without neurogenic instability of hip (mean value of migration percentage (MP) - 25%), group II - 14 patients (19 hips) with untreated dislocation of hip (MP - 100%), group III- 25 patients (30 hips) with dislocation and subluxation of hips treated by open reduction combined with Dega's pelvic osteotomy and intertrochanteric varus osteotomy of femur.

Each patient underwent clinical and radiological evaluation of hips. We assessed the value of migration percentage according to Reimers. We adopted the scale of intensity of pain according to Barie: 1) no pain, 2) sporadic pains, 3) frequent pains retreating after administration of routine analgesic drugs, 4) frequent pains persisting after administration of typical analgesics. The evaluation of pains also comprised their localisation within the hip joint and the knee joint of the same limb (projected pains).

Group I in 11.7% of hips occurred mild pain, in 20.8% light pain and in 67.5% pain didn't occur, there was no severe pain. In group II in 73.7% appeared severe and mild pain, in 10.5% light pain and in 15.8% pain didn't appear. In group III severe and mild pain occurred in 37%, light in 33% and no pain in 30%. In all groups appearance and severity of pain depends of the degree of hip dislocation (p < 0.01 to 0.001). Appearance and aggravation of hips' pain depends on the degree of decentration of the femur's head from the acetabulum, estimated by the migration percentage (MP). Treatment and prevention demands "aggressive" operative procedure to avoid expansion of the hip's pain. Surgery decreases the frequency and intensity of pain but doesn't make patient totally free from the risk of its appearance.