Study authors, including Gaia Georgopoulos, MD, Patrick M. Led by researchers in the Orthopedics Institute at Children’s Hospital Colorado, this study sought to compare ultrasound and X-ray imaging at 6 months of age and their ability to predict recurrent dysplasia at the age of 2 years. Evaluations are used to determine if the prior treatment was successful or if additional treatment is needed. Predicting recurrent or late-presenting dysplasia is difficult not only because it’s a developmental disease, but also because hip monitoring using X-rays offers minimal value in the first 6 months of life since the femoral head and labrum are still mostly cartilage and aren’t visible.Įvaluations and ongoing diagnosis by ultrasounds in conjunction with X-rays often begin when the patient is 6 months old and the femoral head has started to ossify. There’s a 3-33% incidence of acetabular dysplasia at 2 years old after successful treatment. Children with recurrent dysplasia at 2 years old are at increased risk for osteoarthritis and functional limitations in adulthood. A screening ultrasound is recommended for infants with risk factors for developmental dysplasia of the hip, such as family history and breech presentation, or if there is a hip click on an exam.Įarly diagnosis and accurate treatment of infants with hip dysplasia leads to the best outcomes. While physical examination can diagnose hips that are unstable, there are no exam findings that can diagnose an abnormal acetabulum.

Late hip dysplasia is difficult to predictĭevelopmental dysplasia of the hip is a spectrum of hip disorders ranging from complete dislocation of the hip to the abnormal development of the hip socket or acetabulum.

Normal female hip xray