The functional and social significance of orthopedic rehabilitation of mentally retarded patients with cerebral palsy.

The 14 outpatients transferred for surgery on the hips and legs also made significant gains, primarily in hygiene and sitting tolerance. Unfortunately, they required two to four times the period of hospitalization of similarly involved nonretarded children. This is an important consideration in the outpatient group, perhaps less so in the previously institutionalized child. In the entire group of patients, including those followed for less than five years, we have had three deaths. Two were due to pneumonia, two months and four months after the hip procedure. One was due to osteosarcoma of the operated femur four years postoperatively.