Abstract
Treatment of congenital dislocation of the hip depends on the age of the patient and on the assessment of the particular pathological factors present at the different stages of displacement.
Treatment at birth by routine examination for the ‘clunk’ sign is the only reliable method whereby normal joint development can be anticipated in almost every case.
Treatment in the early months of life may be complicated by intra-articular soft tissue obstruction. Particular care is essential to avoid pressure changes in the upper femoral epiphysis and metaphysis.
Dislocation after walking age is invariably accompanied by intra-articular obstruction and altered inclination of the acetabular roof. Traction reduction followed by surgical correction of the secondary pathological changes offers the best result as a routine in this age group.
Treatment of the late painful subluxation is always difficult but satisfactory results can be achieved by the pelvic displacement operation of Chiari.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.