Purpose: To analyse middle-term outcomes of treatment of patients with congenital luxation of hip using modified overhead traction.

Material and Methods: During the years 1991–2001, a total of 116 patients (138 hip joints) were treated. The group comprised 99 girls and 17 boys with the average age 4.7 months (ranging from 1.5–11 months). Patients were divided into two subgroups: patients who have been treated at our department from the determination of the diagnosis and those referred to our department from other facilities after unsuccessful conservative therapy. Only those patients were evaluated in whom the traction therapy was completed at least 2 years ago, the mean follow-up period was 4.5 years (2–10). After the initial preparatory horizontal traction, we moved to a 4-week overhead regimen wherein we increased the abduction by 10 degrees every five days. After completing the dystraction, every hip joint was examined using arthrography and where the reposition was possible, the therapy continued with the fixation in plaster spike for 6 weeks. Pavlik harnes were used for the final phase of the treatment.

Results: In the group of primarily treated patients, reposition was successful in 78 out of 91 hip joints (85.7%). In another 4 hip joints (4.4%), reluxation occurred after an average period of 3.5 weeks after the removal of the spike. Nine hip joints (9.9%), 7 of type IV and 2 of type IIIB, were non-repositionable. Much worse results were achieved in the group of patients who received previous treatment. Only 12 hip joints (25.5%) were maintained permanently repositionable but neither of them was of type IV. Reluxation within two weeks after the removal of the fixation occurred in another 5 hip joints (10.6%). A total of 30 hip joints (63.9%) could not be reposed due to arthrographic findings of reposition obstacles. All these patients were admitted for treatment after the 6th month of age. We have observed no case of avascular head necrosis in the group of 90 patients who received conservative treatment.

Conclusion: Traction therapy is a safe and mild method of treatment for congenital luxation of the hip joint. The rate of success of the therapy depends on the sonographic findings and age of patients at the beginning of therapy. Considerably worse results are achieved in the group of patients who have already received unsuccessful inadequate treatment.