Abstract
In CHD (Congenital Hip Dislocation), the elements which determine the degree and quality of acetabular growth are not clear. This has caused a great deal of controversy on the capability of development of the cotyloid cavity, hence on the indications to reconstructive surgical treatment.
In order to study the behavior of che cotyloid cavity, two groups of patients were taken into consideration: normal subjects and subjects with CHD.
In normal subjects the median value of the Hingelreiner angle was 19°–4'± 1° (normal limit), at 1 year old. The acetabular index decreases rapidly until becoming stable at adult values at the age of 8-10 years of age.
The distinctive characteristics of the hip with spontaneous recovery from cotyloid dysplasia could be defined as follows:
a) the higher critical value on average is reached after 24 months of treatment;
b) once the borderline is reached, the dislocated hip evolves in the same way as the healthy hip;
c) the earlier treatment is started, the sooner correction of the H angle is obtained;
d) the cotyloid cavity continues to develop even after 5 years from reduction.
In CHD with terminal residual dysplasia, an initial correction of the H angle is followed by a sudden interruption in acetabular development, which remains inadequate and will never reach normal values.
These data allow not only the definition of the acetabular growth potential, but also the establishment of more precise indications for reconstructive surgical treatment.
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