Hip dysplasia

Hip dysplasia is a congenital or acquired malposition and disorder of the ossification of the hip socket in newborns. The hip socket is not fully developed and inadequately encloses the femoral head. In extreme cases, the femoral head is no longer supported by the socket and slips out of the socket. This results in dislocation of the joint.

Hip dysplasia is much more common in girls than in boys. Several factors are considered to contribute to or partially cause the condition: one factor is breech presentation.

The initial symptoms of hip dysplasia are lateral unequalness of the gluteal folds and restricted movement of the affected hip when kicking. Without treatment, severe forms lead to permanent damage to the hip joint, including limping, gait disturbances, and pain. If left untreated, severe hip dysplasia leads to hip osteoarthritis over the course of life. Milder forms are painless and may remain without consequences. To avoid subsequent damage, hip dysplasia should be diagnosed as early as possible. Unfortunately, clinical examination is of little use and usually only detectable in cases of severe dysplasia or after dislocation has already occurred. Hip dysplasia can easily be diagnosed in infants with ultrasound. The ideal time to examine the hip joint as early as possible is because newborns' hip joints have a significant tendency to mature. An ultrasound examination of the hip joint should be performed as soon after birth. The earlier a hip maturation disorder is detected, the sooner treatment can begin. As a rule of thumb, the treatment time is approximately twice the age at the start of treatment. This means that if a hip maturation disorder is diagnosed six weeks after birth, treatment will take approximately 12 weeks. However, if the disorder is diagnosed as early as the second week of life, treatment can be completed in four weeks.