Experiences of young women living with developmental dysplasia of the hip: insight into their experiences of surgery and recovery

Abstract

Objective: To explore the experiences of young women with developmental dysplasia of the hip explicating the impact of peri-acetabular osteotomy surgery and recovery in the short and longer term.

Design: Postings of five, selected women on an online active message board aimed at women with developmental dysplasia of the hip were analysed. Interest lay on their postings after they had had peri-acetabular osteotomy surgery. Data analysis was performed through the approach of interpretive phenomenological analysis.

Results: The time length of the postings for the cases ranged from 1 year to 6 years, and the number of postings varied substantially, from 48 to 591. Two major concepts were prominent across participants’ accounts. The first concept, ‘body image’, centred on affects on the women’s self-esteem and body image. The second, ‘the long road to recovery’, highlighted ‘the emotional and physical battle of learning to walk’ and concerns with ‘saving my joints’.

Conclusion: Developmental dysplasia of the hip potentially provides a critical case for exploration of the process of how a disability can affect confidence, self-esteem and body image. Recovery from this condition requires enormous effort, resilience and commitment from the women.