Value of limited hip abduction in developmental dysplasia of the hip.
BACKGROUND
Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) continues to be missed by routine physical examination in up to 50% of cases. Ultrasound (US) supplementation is the best method of screening for DDH, but the resources required should not be underestimated. Limited abduction of the hip (LHA) in an infant triggers suspicion, and often an urge to treat, in most orthopaedic surgeons and pediatricians alike. This study aimed to document the value of unilateral LHA in the diagnosis and decision making of DDH, and the correlation between LHA and US.


METHODS
In total, 464 infants referred from the pediatrics clinic with LHA, aged between 30 and 120 days, were included in the study.


RESULTS
Physical examination revealed LHA in 186 (41%) infants, 26 of which were unilateral and 160 were bilateral. US examination showed that 13 (8.1%) patients in the bilateral LHA group and 18 (69.2) patients in the unilateral LHA group, had DDH (total number 31, 7%).


CONCLUSIONS
Unilateral limitation of hip abduction was found to be a sensitive sign for developmental hip dysplasia, but US could be defined once again as the best golden standard before initiating treatment.
Selçuk University Meram School of Medicine, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Konya, Turkey.
Hakan
H
Senaran
H Mustafa
HM
Ozdemir
Tunç Cevat
TC
Ogün
M I Safa
MI
Kapicioglu
D001848:Bone Diseases, Developmental / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006615:Hip / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014463:Ultrasonography