We conducted a retrospective audit of the short-term results of 14 patients with adolescent hip dysplasia treated with triple pelvic osteotomy. We compared our results with those in current international literature. The mean age of our patients at the time of surgery was 19 years (11 to 34).

The mean follow-up period was 8 months. Preoperatively and postoperatively the patients were graded clinically by the modified Merle d’Aubigne and Postel systems. Radiological evaluation included the centre-edge (CE) angle of Wiberg, the acetabular index (AI) of Sharp and the percentage of femoral head cover. Patient satisfaction was graded out of five points.

Clinically 86% of the patients exhibited improvement. The mean preoperative score was 12.3 (fair) and the mean postoperative score was 15.1 (good). Patient satisfaction was high, with a mean 4.75 out of 5 points. Radiologically there were notable improvements: the mean CE angle improved from 2° to 24°, the AI from 52° to 39°, and the percentage femoral head cover from 55% to 80%.

Our results in this short-term study compare well with international results. The operation carries known long-term benefits in terms of biomechanics and delayed onset of OA.