Aims. To monitor the performance of services for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) in Northern Ireland and identify potential improvements to enhance quality of service and plan for the future. Methods. This was a prospective observational study, involving all infants treated for DDH between 2011 and 2017. Children underwent clinical assessment and radiological investigation as per the regional surveillance policy. The regional radiology data was interrogated to quantify the use of ultrasound and ionizing radiation for this population. Results. Evidence-based changes were made to the Northern Ireland screening programme, including an increase in ultrasound scanning capacity and expansion of nurse-led screening clinics. The number of infant hip ultrasound scans increased from 4,788 in 2011, to approximately 7,000 in 2013 and subsequent years. The number of hip radiographs on infants of less than one year of age fell from 7,381 to 2,208 per year. There was a modest increase in the treatment rate from 10.9 to 14.3 per 1,000 live births but there was a significant reduction in the number of closed hip reductions. The incidence of infants diagnosed with DDH after one year of age was 0.30 per 1,000 live births over the entire period. Conclusion. Improving compliance with the regional infant hip screening protocols led to reduction in operative procedures and reduced the number of pelvic radiographs of infants. We conclude that performance monitoring of screening programmes for DDH is essential to provide a quality service. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2020;102-B(4):495–500

We reviewed the evidence for hip surveillance in children with cerebral palsy from the published literature. Publications were identified using the Cochrane controlled trials register, the MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL databases and by hand searching key journals and their references. Studies were included if they reported the frequency, associated risk factors or surveillance measures undertaken to identify subluxation or dislocation of the hip in children with cerebral palsy. Assessment of the quality of the methodology was undertaken independently by two researchers. Four studies described the natural history, incidence and risk factors for dislocation of the hip. Two reported their surveillance results. Approximately 60% of children who were not walking by five years of age were likely to develop subluxation of the hip, with the greatest risk in those with severe neurological involvement. The introduction of surveillance programmes allowed earlier identification of subluxation and reduced the need for surgery on dislocated hips. Surveillance can identify children most at risk of subluxation using radiological methods which are widely available

We studied prospectively the impact of a hip surveillance clinic on the management of spastic hip disease in children with cerebral palsy in a tertiary referral centre. Using a combination of primary clinical and secondary radiological screening we were able to detect spastic hip disease at an early stage in most children and to offer early surgical intervention. The principal effect on surgical practice was that more preventive surgery was carried out at a younger age and at a more appropriate stage of the disease. The need for reconstructive surgery has decreased and that for salvage surgery has been eliminated. Displacement of the hip in children with cerebral palsy meets specific criteria for a screening programme. We recommend that hip surveillance should become part of the routine management of children with cerebral palsy. The hips should be examined radiologically at 18 months of age in all children with bilateral cerebral palsy and at six- to 12-monthly intervals thereafter. A co-ordinated approach by orthopaedic surgeons and physiotherapists may be the key to successful implementation of this screening programme

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The aim of this study was to evaluate the epidemiology and treatment of Perthes’ disease of the hip.

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The aim of this study was to inform the epidemiology and treatment of slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE).

In 1994 a cerebral palsy (CP) register and healthcare programme was established in southern Sweden with the primary aim of preventing dislocation of the hip in these children. The results from the first ten years were published in 2005 and showed a decrease in the incidence of dislocation of the hip, from 8% in a historical control group of 103 children born between 1990 and 1991 to 0.5% in a group of 258 children born between 1992 and 1997. These two cohorts have now been re-evaluated and an additional group of 431 children born between 1998 and 2007 has been added. By 1 January 2014, nine children in the control group, two in the first study group and none in the second study group had developed a dislocated hip (p < 0.001). The two children in the first study group who developed a dislocated hip were too unwell to undergo preventive surgery. Every child with a dislocated hip reported severe pain, at least periodically, and four underwent salvage surgery. Of the 689 children in the study groups, 91 (13%) underwent preventive surgery. A population-based hip surveillance programme enables the early identification and preventive treatment, which can result in a significantly lower incidence of dislocation of the hip in children with CP. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2014; 96-B:1546–52

Of the 34 723 infants born between 1 June 1992 and 31 May 2002, the hips of 2578 with clinical instability or at-risk factors for developmental dysplasia of the hip were imaged by ultrasound.

Instability of the hip was present in 77 patients, of whom only 24 (31.2%) had an associated risk factor. From the ‘at-risk’ groups, the overall risk of type-III dysplasia, instability and irreducibility was 1:15 when family history, 1:27 when breech delivery and 1:33 when foot deformity were considered as risk factors. Of those hips which were ultrasonographically stable, 88 had type-III dysplasia.

A national programme of selective ultrasound screening of at-risk factors for the diagnosis of hip dislocation or instability alone cannot be recommended because of its low predictive value (1:88). However, the incidence of type-III dysplasia and hip dislocation or dislocatability in the groups with clinical instability, family history, breech position and possibly postural foot deformity as risk factors could justify a programme of selective ultrasound imaging.

Aims. The purpose of this study was to compare the prevalence of hip displacement and dislocation in a total population of children with cerebral palsy (CP) in Scotland before and after the initiation of a hip surveillance programme. Patients. A total of 2,155 children with CP are registered in the Cerebral Palsy Integrated Pathway Scotland (CPIPS) surveillance programme, which began in 2013. Physical examination and hip radiological data are collected according to nationally agreed protocols. Methods. Age, Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) level, subtype of CP, migration percentage (MP), and details of hip surgery were analyzed for all children aged between two and 16 years taken from a time of census in March 2019 and compared to the same data from the initial registration of children in the CPIPS. Displacement of the hip was defined as a MP of between 40% and 99%, and dislocation as a MP of 100%. Results. A total of 1,646 children were available for analysis at the time of the census and 1,171 at their first registration in CPIPS. The distribution of age, sex, and GMFCS levels were similar in the two groups. The prevalence of displacement and dislocation of the hip before surveillance began were 10% (117/1,171) and 2.5% (29/1,171) respectively, and at the time of the census were 4.5% (74/1,646) and 1.3% (21/1,646), respectively. Dislocation was only seen in GMFCS levels IV and V and displacement seen in 90.5% (67/74) of these levels and 9.5% (7/74) in levels I to III. In total, 138 children had undergone hip surgery during the study period. The hip redisplaced after the initial surgery in 15 children; seven of these had undergone a second procedure and at the time of the census the hips in all seven had a MP < 40. Conclusion. Hip surveillance appears to be effective and has reduced the prevalence of hip displacement by over half and dislocation almost by half in these children. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2020;102-B(3):383–387

Aims. A national screening programme has existed in the UK for the diagnosis of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) since 1969. However, every aspect of screening and treatment remains controversial. Screening programmes throughout the world vary enormously, and in the UK there is significant variation in screening practice and treatment pathways. We report the results of an attempt by the British Society for Children’s Orthopaedic Surgery (BSCOS) to identify a nationwide consensus for the management of DDH in order to unify treatment and suggest an approach for screening. Methods. A Delphi consensus study was performed among the membership of BSCOS. Statements were generated by a steering group regarding aspects of the management of DDH in children aged under three months, namely screening and surveillance (15 questions), the technique of ultrasound scanning (eight questions), the initiation of treatment (19 questions), care during treatment with a splint (ten questions), and on quality, governance, and research (eight questions). A two-round Delphi process was used and a consensus document was produced at the final meeting of the steering group. Results. A total of 60 statements were graded by 128 clinicians in the first round and 132 in the second round. Consensus was reached on 30 out of 60 statements in the first round and an additional 12 in the seond. This was summarized in a consensus statement and distilled into a flowchart to guide clinical practice. Conclusion. We identified agreement in an area of medicine that has a long history of controversy and varied practice. None of the areas of consensus are based on high-quality evidence. This document is thus a framework to guide clinical practice and on which high-quality clinical trials can be developed. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2023;105-B(2):209–214

Aims. The migration percentage (MP) is one criterion used for surgery in dislocated or displaced hips in children with cerebral palsy (CP). The MP at which a displaced hip can no longer return to normal is unclear. The aim of this paper was to identify the point of no return of the MP through a large population-based study. Methods. All children registered on the Cerebral Palsy Integrated Pathway Scotland surveillance programme undergo regular pelvic radiographs. Any child who had a MP measuring over 35% since the programme’s inception in 2013, in at least one hip and at one timepoint, was identified. The national radiography database was then interrogated to identify all pelvic radiographs for each of these children from birth through to the date of analysis. A minimum of a further two available radiographs following the initial measurement of MP ≥ 35% was required for inclusion. Results. A total of 239 children (346 hips) were identified as suitable for analysis at a mean of 6.5 years (2.0 to 14.8) follow-up. In all, 1,485 radiographs taken both prior to and after a hip had a MP ≥ 35% were examined and the MP measured to identify any progression of displacement. Interrogation of the data identified that hips with a MP up to 46% returned to a MP below 40% without intervention, and all hips with a MP equal to or greater than 46% displaced further and the MP did not return to the normal range. Statistical analysis showed the result to be 98% specific with this degree of certainty that hips reaching a MP ≥ 46% would not spontaneously regress. Conclusion. These findings are clinically relevant in showing that it may be reasonable to continue to monitor hips with a MP not exceeding 46%. This threshold will also guide referral for further management of a displacing hip. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2021;103-B(2):411–414

Aims. The purpose of this study was to analyze the incidence of the different ultrasound phenotypes of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH), and to determine their subsequent course. Patients and Methods. A consecutive series of 28 092 neonates was screened and classified according to the Graf method as part of a nationwide surveillance programme, and then followed prospectively. Abnormal hips were followed until they became normal (Graf type I). Type IIb hips and higher grades were treated by abduction in a Tübinger orthosis until normal. Dislocated hips underwent closed or open reduction. Results. Overall, 90.2% of hips were normal at birth. Type IIa hips (8.9%) became normal at a median of six weeks (interquartile range (IQR) 6 to 9). Type IIc and IId hips (0.67%) became normal after ten weeks (IQR 7 to 13). There were 19 type lll and eight type lV hips at baseline. There were 24 closed reductions and one open reduction. No late presentations of DDH were detected within the first five years of life. Conclusion. The incidence of DDH was eight per 1000 live births. The treatment rate was 1% (n = 273). The rate of first operations on the newborn hip was 0.86, and rate of open surgery was 0.04. The cumulative rate of open surgery was 0.07. The authors take the view that early identification and treatment in abduction of all dysplastic hips in early childhood reduces the rate of open reduction and secondary DDH-related surgery later in life. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2018;100-B:1399–1404

Hip displacement, defined in this study as a migration percentage (MP) of more than 40%, is a common, debilitating complication of cerebral palsy (CP). In this prospective study we analysed the risk of developing hip displacement within five years of the first pelvic radiograph. . All children with CP in southern and western Sweden are invited to register in the hip surveillance programme CPUP. Inclusion criteria for the two groups in this study were children from the CPUP database born between 1994 and 2009 with Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) III to V. Group 1 included children who developed hip displacement, group 2 included children who did not develop hip displacement over a minimum follow-up of five years. A total of 145 children were included with a mean age at their initial pelvic radiograph of 3.5 years (0.6 to 9.7). The odds ratio for hip displacement was calculated for GMFCS-level, age and initial MP and head-shaft angle. A risk score was constructed with these variables using multiple logistic regression analysis. The predictive ability of the risk score was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC). . All variables had a significant effect on the risk of a MP > 40%. The discriminatory accuracy of the CPUP hip score is high (AUC = 0.87), indicating a high ability to differentiate between high- and low-risk individuals for hip displacement. The CPUP hip score may be useful in deciding on further follow-up and treatment in children with CP. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015;97-B:1441–4

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Osteofibrous dysplasia (OFD) is a rare benign lesion predominantly affecting the tibia in children. Its potential link to adamantinoma has influenced management. This international case series reviews the presentation of OFD and management approaches to improve our understanding of OFD.

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The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to assess and investigate the safety and efficacy of using a distal tibial osteotomy compared to proximal osteotomy for limb lengthening in children.

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The aim of this study was to produce clinical consensus recommendations about the non-surgical treatment of children with Perthes’ disease. The recommendations are intended to support clinical practice in a condition for which there is no robust evidence to guide optimal care.

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The Uppföljningsprogram för cerebral pares (CPUP) Hip Score distinguishes between children with cerebral palsy (CP) at different levels of risk for displacement of the hip. The score was constructed using data from Swedish children with CP, but has not been confirmed in any other population. The aim of this study was to determine the calibration and discriminatory accuracy of this score in children with CP in Scotland.

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We aimed to determine hip-related quality of life and clinical findings following treatment for neonatal hip instability (NHI) compared with age- and sex-matched controls. We hypothesized that NHI would predispose to hip discomfort in long-term follow-up.

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The aim of this study was to determine the extent to which patient demographics, clinical presentation, and blood parameters vary in Kingella kingae septic arthritis when compared with those of other organisms, and whether this difference needs to be considered when assessing children in whom a diagnosis of septic arthritis is suspected.

In a prospective study over 11 years we assessed the relationship between neonatal deformities of the foot and the presence of ultrasonographic developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). Between 1 January 1996 and 31 December 2006, 614 infants with deformities of the foot were referred for clinical and ultrasonographic evaluation. There were 436 cases of postural talipes equinovarus deformity (TEV), 60 of fixed congenital talipes equinovarus (CTEV), 93 of congenital talipes calcaneovalgus (CTCV) and 25 of metatarsus adductus. The overall risk of ultrasonographic dysplasia or instability was 1:27 in postural TEV, 1:8.6 in CTEV, 1:5.2 in CTCV and 1:25 in metatarsus adductus. The risk of type-IV instability of the hip or irreducible dislocation was 1:436 (0.2%) in postural TEV, 1:15.4 (6.5%) in CTCV and 1:25 (4%) in metatarsus adductus. There were no cases of hip instability (type IV) or of irreducible dislocation in the CTEV group. Routine screening for DDH in cases of postural TEV and CTEV is no longer advocated. The former is poorly defined, leading to the over-diagnosis of a possibly spurious condition. Ultrasonographic imaging and surveillance of hips in infants with CTCV and possibly those with metatarsus adductus should continue

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Guided growth has been used to treat coxa valga for cerebral palsy (CP) children. However, there has been no study on the optimal position of screw application. In this paper we have investigated the influence of screw position on the outcomes of guided growth.