Hip displacements and correctable scoliosis were prevalent in children with cerebral palsy registered in a Danish follow‐up programme from 2010 to 2020

Abstract

AbstractAimWe need a better understanding of non‐surgical interventions for hip dislocations and scoliosis. This study estimated the cumulative incidence of problems among children with cerebral palsy and described the type and frequency of therapist‐led interventions.MethodsThe study comprised 1482 children (58% male) aged 0–15 years, with a mean age of 3.6 years, who were registered in the Danish Cerebral Palsy Follow‐up Programme from 2010 to 2020. We used the Kaplan–Meier estimator to examine the cumulative incidence of hip displacement, hip dislocation, correctable scoliosis and non‐correctable scoliosis. The type and frequency of therapist‐led interventions are reported descriptively.ResultsThe cumulative incidence of hip displacement and hip dislocation were 15.8% and 3.5%, respectively, and 39.0% and 13.9% for correctable and non‐correctable scoliosis. The most frequently reported type of therapist‐led intervention was a joint range of motion exercise. We found that 60.5% with hip displacements and 43.8% with correctable scoliosis used a standing aid. A further 5.4% used a spinal orthosis to prevent deformity and 8.1% for stabilisation.ConclusionHip displacement and correctable scoliosis were prevalent in children with cerebral palsy, whereas the occurrence of hip dislocations and non‐correctable scoliosis was low. The use of assistive aids was low.