Hip displacement is the second most common deformity in children with cerebral palsy (CP). A displaced, and particularly a dislocated hip, can have significantly adverse effects on an individual. Surgical intervention to correct progressive hip displacement or dislocation is recommended for children with CP. Success of surgical intervention is often described using radiological outcomes. There is evidence that surgical treatment for displaced or dislocated hips decreases pain and hip stiffness and improves radiological outcomes. However, there is no information in the literature regarding the impact of surgical treatment on the health related quality of life (HRQOL) in these children. The aim of our study was to examine the impact of surgical treatment of hip displacement or dislocation on HRQOL in children with CP.

This prospective longitudinal cohort study involved children attending a tertiary care hospital orthopaedic department. Children with CP between the ages of 4 and 18 years, with hip displacement/dislocation, defined as a Reimer's migration percentage (MP) of >40% on a pre-operative x-ray, and undergoing surgical reconstruction were eligible for inclusion. Quality of life was measured pre-operatively and post-operatively using the CPCHILD Questionnaire.

Twelve patients (one child was GMFCS level III, 4 were level IV, and 7 were level V), aged 4.0 to 17.3 years, were assessed pre-operatively and then again at least six months post-operatively. All underwent unilateral (5) or bilateral (7) reconstructive hip surgery. The migration percentage of hips undergoing reconstruction was reduced by an average of 52% (9–100%). The average change in CPCHILD score showed an increase of 6.4 points [95% CI: −1.4–14.2].

In this pilot study, no significant change was noted in HRQOL following reconstructive hip surgery, despite a marked reduction in Reimer's MP. However, only 4 of 12 parents reported that their child had daily pain pre-operatively. A larger sample size will be required to draw more accurate conclusions from these findings. There is an evident need for a multicentre study examining this issue in a larger patient population in order to determine the long-term impact of different hip interventions on quality of life in children with CP.

A prospective study of 33 civilian parachutists with 41 injuries is presented. Because the training for civilians is less rigorous than that for military parachutists, the hospital admission rate for severe injuries was high (81.8%). Most injuries occurred during landing and the ankle was most frequently involved. The types and possible mechanisms of injury are discussed, as well as recommendations for modifying the civilian training programme.