To evaluate the safety and efficacy of treating patients with Graf IIa developmental hip dysplasia. The management of the developmentally immature Graf Type IIa dysplastic hip is controversial. Some authors advocate early treatment with an abduction harness whilst others adopt watchful waiting. At our institution selective sonographic assessment for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) was established in 1997 with prospective data collection. All infants diagnosed with Graf Type IIa hip(s) were treated with either a Pavlik harness or double nappies, with clinical and sonographic follow up until normalisation. Pelvic radiographs were routinely performed at 8 and 18 months follow up for assessment of residual dysplasia and/or complications of treatment. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of all treated patients between 2005 and 2013. Complete clinical and radiological follow up (mean 2.1 years, 0.7–6.5) was available for 103 of 118 infants. 69 were treated with a Pavlik harness and 49 with double nappies. The chosen treatment was successful in 110 hips with no documented complications, well developed ossific nuclei on follow up radiographs, and no further treatments undertaken. In the double nappy group 4 infants deteriorated sonographically so were changed to a Pavlik harness with subsequent normalisation and successful treatment. 3 patients required VDRO at age 18 months (17–20) and 1 patient required closed reduction and spica cast treatment at age 11 months. No further complications arose in this group. The 15 patients lost to follow up had successful initial treatment but failed to attend for radiographic review. Both Pavlik harness and double nappies are safe treatment modalities for Type IIa hip dysplasia. However, sonographic deterioration was observed in both groups with surgical intervention required in the minority, supporting the ongoing treatment of these immature hips.
A study to assess the clinical importance of asymmetric thigh creases as the sole clinical sign in the diagnosis of developmental dysplasia of the hip. All consultant clinic letters have been saved on a hospital hard drive since 1999. This drive was searched for the terms “thigh crease” and “skin crease”. Irrelevant letters and referral letters describing factors that would indicate screening in our unit were excluded leaving those with the sole referral complaint of asymmetric thigh creases (ATC). We also reviewed the original referrals of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) patients managed by open or closed reduction. These patients were identified through operative coding. All available hard copy notes were reviewed and patients with neuromuscular conditions or longitudinal deficiency were excluded. Results were inputted into an Excel spreadsheet and analysed by a statistician at the University of Sheffield assuming a background population incidence for DDH of 1 in 1000. 399 computer files containing the search terms were identified. Many contained whole clinics of patient letters. After exclusions we identified 229 patients with the sole referral complaint of ATC. Three of the 229 patients had DDH, which was not statistically significant (p=0.107). The majority of the normal patients had radiological investigations. Hard copy notes were available and relevant for 130 of the 289 operatively managed patients, of whom one was initially referred with the sole complaint of ATC. Orthopaedic specialist examination demonstrated all four patients initially referred with only ATC had decreased abduction and shortening.METHOD
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