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 aim of this study was to investigate the agreement in interpretation of the quality of the paediatric hip ultrasound examination, the reliability of geometric and morphological assessment, and the relationship between these measurements. Methods. Four investigators evaluated 60 hip ultrasounds and assessed their quality based the standard plane of Graf et al. They measured geometric parameters, described the morphology of the hip, and assigned the Graf grade of dysplasia. They analyzed one self-selected image and one randomly selected image from the ultrasound series, and repeated the process four weeks later. The intra- and interobserver agreement, and correlations between various parameters were analyzed. Results. In the assessment of quality, there a was moderate to substantial intraobserver agreement for each element investigated, but interobserver agreement was poor. Morphological features showed weak to moderate agreement across all parameters but improved to significant when responses were reduced. The geometric measurements showed nearly perfect agreement, and the relationship between them and the morphological features showed a dose response across all parameters with moderate to substantial correlations. There were strong correlations between geometric measurements. The Graf classification showed a fair to moderate interobserver agreement, and moderate to substantial intraobserver agreement. Conclusion. This investigation into the reliability of the interpretation of hip ultrasound scans identified the difficulties in defining what is a high-quality ultrasound. We confirmed that geometric measurements are reliably interpreted and may be useful as a further measurement of quality. Morphological features are generally poorly interpreted, but a simpler binary classification considerably improves agreement. As there is a clear dose response relationship between geometric and morphological measurements, the importance of morphology in the diagnosis of hip dysplasia should be questioned. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2023;105-B(10):1123–1130

Aims. The aim of this study was to review the value of accepting referrals for children with ‘clicky hips’ in a selective screening programme for hip dysplasia. Patients and Methods. A single-centre prospective database of all referrals to the hip clinic was examined to identify indication for referrals, diagnosis, and treatment. All patients referred received a standardized ultrasound scan and clinical examination by an orthopaedic consultant. Results. There were 5716 children referred to the orthopaedic hip clinic between 1 June 2014 and 26 September 2018. In all, 1754 children (30.1%) were referred due to ‘clicky hip’ with no additional risk factors or indications for ultrasound scan. A total of 123 children (7.1%) referred with ‘clicky hip’ and no additional risk factors or examination findings had an abnormal initial hip ultrasound, including 16 children (0.9%) with dysplastic hips. Of the 141 children who required treatment in a Pavlik harness during the study period, 23 (16%) had been referred with a ‘clicky hip’ and no additional risk factors or examination findings, including six children with Graf 3 or 4 hips. Conclusion. There is significant value in reviewing children with an isolated ‘clicky hip’. Many children who require treatment are referred to the orthopaedic service as ‘clicky hip’ with no additional risk factors. In a pragmatic pathway with a diverse population of clinicians performing baby checks, ‘clicky hip’ is an important indication for referral and should not be discarded. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2019;101-B:635–638

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

Aims. The significance of the ‘clicky hip’ in neonatal and infant examination remains controversial with recent conflicting papers reigniting the debate. We aimed to quantify rates of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) in babies referred with ‘clicky hips’ to our dedicated DDH clinic. Patients and Methods. A three-year prospective cohort study was undertaken between 2014 and 2016 assessing the diagnosis and treatment outcomes of all children referred specifically with ‘clicky hips’ as the primary reason for referral to our dedicated DDH clinic. Depending on their age, they were all imaged with either ultrasound scan or radiographs. Results. There were 69 ‘clicky hip’ referrals over the three-year period. This represented 26.9% of the total 257 referrals received in that time. The mean age at presentation was 13.6 weeks (1 to 84). A total of 19 children (28%) referred as ‘clicky hips’ were noted to have hip abnormalities on ultrasound scan, including 15 with Graf Type II hips (7 bilateral), one Graf Type III hip, and three Graf Type IV hips. Of these, ten children were treated with a Pavlik harness, with two requiring subsequent closed reduction in theatre; one child was treated primarily with a closed reduction and adductor tenotomy. In total, 11 (15.9%) of the 69 ‘clicky hip’ referrals required intervention with either harness or surgery. Conclusion. Our study provides further evidence that the ‘clicky hip’ referral can represent an underlying diagnosis of DDH and should, in our opinion, always lead to further clinical and radiological assessment. In the absence of universal ultrasound screening, we would encourage individual units to carefully assess their own outcomes and protocols for ‘clicky hip’ referrals and tailor ongoing service provision to local populations and local referral practices. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2018;100-B:1249–52

Congenital talipes equinovarus is a common anomaly which can now be diagnosed prenatally on a routine ultrasound scan at 20 weeks of gestation. Prenatal counselling is increasingly offered to parents with affected fetuses, but it is difficult to counsel parents if there is a chance that the fetus may not have talipes. Our study correlates the prenatal ultrasound findings of 14 infants diagnosed as having unilateral or bilateral talipes during their routine 20-week ultrasound scan with their clinical findings at birth and the treatment received. No feet diagnosed as talipes on the ultrasound scan were completely normal at birth and therefore there were no true false-positive results. One foot graded as normal at 20 weeks was found to have a mild grade-1 talipes at birth, but did not require treatment other than simple stretches. A total of 32% of feet required no treatment and so could be considered functional false-positive results on the scan. Serial casting was required by 13% of feet and surgical treatment by 55%. The severity of the talipes is difficult to establish before birth. A number of patients are likely to need surgical treatment, but a proportion will have talipes so mildly that no treatment will be required. In counselling parents at 20 weeks, orthopaedic surgeons need to know whether or not there is a small chance that the ultrasound diagnosis could be wrong and also that the talipes may be so mild that the foot will not require treatment

Twins are often considered to be at an increased risk of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH); we therefore investigated whether multiple births have a higher incidence of DDH, and if selective ultrasound scanning should be considered for these infants. We reviewed our records of all live births between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2008 and included 25 246 single and 990 multiple births. Multiple births did not have a significantly higher incidence of DDH compared with single births (0.0030 vs 0.0023, p = 0.8939). Of the 990 multiple births, 267 had neonatal ultrasound scans and one case of DDH was diagnosed and treated successfully with a Pavlik harness. There were two late-presenting cases at eight and 14 months of age, neither of whom had risk factors for DDH and consequently had not had a neonatal scan. Whereas selective ultrasound scanning of multiple births would have led to earlier detection and treatment of the late-presenting cases, they did not have a significantly higher incidence of DDH compared with single births. We conclude that being a twin or triplet in itself is not a risk factor for DDH and that selective ultrasound scanning is not indicated for this population. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:132–4

We present the results of treatment of developmental dysplasia of the hip in infancy with the Pavlik harness using a United Kingdom screening programme with ultrasound-guided supervision. Initially, 128 consecutive hips in 77 patients were reviewed over a 40-month period; 123 of these were finally included in the study. The mean age of the patients at the start of treatment was five weeks (1 to 12). All hips were examined clinically and monitored with ultrasound scanning. Failure of treatment was defined as an inability to maintain reduction with the harness. All hips diagnosed with dysplasia or subluxation but not dislocation were managed successfully in the harness. There were 43 dislocated hips, of which 39 were reducible, but six failed treatment in the harness. There were four dislocated but irreducible hips which all failed treatment in the harness. One hip appeared to be successfully treated in the harness but showed persistent radiological dysplasia at 12 and 24 months. Grade 1 avascular necrosis was identified radiologically in three patients at 12 months

Club foot was diagnosed by ultrasonography in 91 feet (52 fetuses) at a mean gestational age of 22.1 weeks (14 to 35.6). Outcome was obtained by chart review in 26 women or telephone interview in 26. Feet were classified as normal, positional deformity, isolated club foot or complex club foot. At initial diagnosis, 69 feet (40 fetuses) were classified as isolated club foot and 22 feet (12 fetuses) as complex club foot. The diagnosis was changed after follow-up ultrasound scan in 13 fetuses (25%), and the final ultrasound diagnosis was normal in one fetus, isolated club foot in 31 fetuses, and complex club foot in 20 fetuses. At birth, club foot was found in 79 feet in 43 infants for a positive predictive value of 83%. Accuracy of the specific diagnosis of isolated club foot or complex club foot was lower; 63% at the initial ultrasound scan and 73% at the final scan. The difference in diagnostic accuracy between isolated and complex club foot was not statistically significant. In no case was postnatal complex club foot undiagnosed on fetal ultrasound and all inaccuracies were overdiagnoses. Karyotyping was performed in 25 cases. Abnormalities were noted in three fetuses, all with complex club foot and with additional findings on ultrasound

We have followed the natural progress of newborn infants in whom ultrasound examination showed abnormalities in hips which appeared to be clinically normal. Over six years we saw 306 such children out of 9952 examined (31 per 1000 live births). The examination was repeated at two to three months and those who still showed an abnormality were followed up further. At four to five months a standard radiograph was obtained, and treatment began if this and another ultrasound scan were both abnormal. At this stage, 291 infants had normal hips. In the 15 infants with abnormal hips there was no pronounced deterioration, none developed a frank dislocation, and all became normal after treatment in an abduction splint. Newborn infants with abnormal and suspicious ultrasound findings who are normal on clinical examination do not need treatment from birth; most of these hips will settle spontaneously. Treatment can be postponed until the age of four to five months unless clinical instability develops or ultrasound shows dislocation. The criteria for treatment should be based on measurements by both ultrasound and radiography: both should show an abnormality before intervention is considered necessary

Aims

The aim of this prospective cohort study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the neonatal hip instability screening programme.

Aims

A clicky hip is a common referral for clinical and sonographic screening for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). There is controversy regarding whether it represents a true risk factor for pathological DDH. Therefore a 20-year prospective, longitudinal, observational study was undertaken to assess the relationship between the presence of a neonatal clicky hip and pathological DDH.

Aims

The aim of this study was to establish the incidence of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) diagnosed after one-year of age in England, stratified by age, gender, year, and region of diagnosis.

Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) should be diagnosed as early as possible to optimise treatment. The current United Kingdom recommendations for the selective screening of DDH include a clinical examination at birth and at six weeks. In Northern Ireland babies continue to have an assessment by a health visitor at four months of age. As we continue to see late presentations of DDH, beyond one year of age, we hypothesised that a proportion had missed an opportunity for earlier diagnosis. We expect those who presented to our service with Tonnis grade III or IV hips and decreased abduction would have had clinical signs at their earlier assessments.

We performed a retrospective review of all patients born in Northern Ireland between 2008 and 2010 who were diagnosed with DDH after their first birthday. There were 75 856 live births during the study period of whom 645 children were treated for DDH (8.5 per 1000). The minimum follow-up of our cohort from birth, to detect late presentation, was four years and six months. Of these, 32 children (33 hips) were diagnosed after their first birthday (0.42 per 1000).

With optimum application of our selective screening programme 21 (65.6%) of these children had the potential for an earlier diagnosis, which would have reduced the incidence of late diagnosis to 0.14 per 1000. As we saw a peak in diagnosis between three and five months our findings support the continuation of the four month health visitor check. Our study adds further information to the debate regarding selective versus universal screening.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015;97-B:1572–6.

Congenital Talipes Equinovarus (CTEV) is one of the most common congenital limb deformities. We reviewed the records of infants who had received treatment for structural CTEV between 1 January 2007 and 30 November 2012. This was cross-referenced with the prenatal scans of mothers over a corresponding period of time. We investigated the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of the fetal anomaly scan for the detection of CTEV and explored whether the publication of Fetal Anomaly Screening Programme guidelines in 2010 affected the rate of detection.

During the study period there were 95 532 prenatal scans and 34 373 live births at our hospital. A total of 37 fetuses with findings suggestive of CTEV were included in the study, of whom 30 were found to have structural CTEV at birth. The sensitivity of screening for CTEV was 71.4% and the positive predictive value was 81.1%. The negative predictive value and specificity were more than 99.5%. There was no significant difference between the rates of detection before and after publication of the guidelines (p = 0.5).

We conclude that a prenatal fetal anomaly ultrasound screening diagnosis of CTEV has a good positive predictive value enabling prenatal counselling. The change in screening guidance has not affected the proportion of missed cases. This information will aid counselling parents about the effectiveness and accuracy of prenatal ultrasound in diagnosing CTEV.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2014;96-B:984–8.

There is controversy whether congenital foot abnormalities are true risk factors for pathological dysplasia of the hip. Previous United Kingdom screening guidelines considered congenital talipes equinovarus (CTEV) to be a risk factor for hip dysplasia, but present guidelines do not. We assessed the potential relationship between pathological dysplasia of the hip and fixed idiopathic CTEV.

We present a single-centre 21-year prospective longitudinal observational study. All fixed idiopathic CTEV cases were classified (Harrold and Walker Types 1 to 3) and the hips clinically and sonographically assessed. Sonographic Graf Type III, IV and radiological irreducible hip dislocation were considered to be pathological hip dysplasia.

Over 21 years there were 139 children with 199 cases of fixed idiopathic CTEV feet. Sonographically, there were 259 normal hips, 18 Graf Type II hips, 1 Graf Type III hip and 0 Graf Type IV hip. There were no cases of radiological or sonographic irreducible hip dislocation.

Fixed idiopathic CTEV should not be considered as a significant risk factor for pathological hip dysplasia. This conclusion is in keeping with the current newborn and infant physical examination guidelines in which the only risk factors routinely screened are family history and breech presentation. Our findings suggest CTEV should not be considered a significant risk factor in pathological dysplasia of the hip.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2014;96-B:1553–5.

Congenital pseudarthrosis of the tibia (CPT) is a rare but well recognised condition. Obtaining union of the pseudarthrosis in these children is often difficult and may require several surgical procedures. The treatment has changed significantly since the review by Hardinge in 1972, but controversies continue as to the best form of surgical treatment. This paper reviews these controversies.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:1027–34.

A delay in the diagnosis of paediatric acute and subacute haematogenous osteomyelitis can lead to potentially devastating morbidity. There are no definitive guidelines for diagnosis, and recommendations in the literature are generally based on expert opinions, case series and cohort studies.

All articles in the English literature on paediatric osteomyelitis were searched using MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, Google Scholar, the Cochrane Library and reference lists. A total of 1854 papers were identified, 132 of which were examined in detail. All aspects of osteomyelitis were investigated in order to formulate recommendations.

On admission 40% of children are afebrile. The tibia and femur are the most commonly affected long bones. Clinical examination, blood and radiological tests are only reliable for diagnosis in combination. Staphylococcus aureus is the most common organism detected, but isolation of Kingella kingae is increasing. Antibiotic treatment is usually sufficient to eradicate the infection, with a short course intravenously and early conversion to oral treatment. Surgery is indicated only in specific situations.

Most studies were retrospective and there is a need for large, multicentre, randomised, controlled trials to define protocols for diagnosis and treatment. Meanwhile, evidence-based algorithms are suggested for accurate and early diagnosis and effective treatment.

Achilles tenotomy is a recognised step in the Ponseti technique for the correction of idiopathic congenital talipes equinovarus in most percutaneous cases. Its use has been limited in part by concern that the subsequent natural history of the tendon is unknown. In a study of 11 tendons in eight infants, eight tendons were shown to be clinically intact and ten had ultrasonographic evidence of continuity three weeks after tenotomy. At six weeks after tenotomy all tendons had both clinical and ultrasonographic evidence of continuity.

The aim of this prospective study was to investigate prematurity as a risk factor for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). The hips of 221 infants (88 female, 133 male, mean age 31.11 weeks; standard deviation (sd) 2.51) who were born in the 34th week of gestation or earlier, and those of 246 infants (118 female, 128 male, mean age 40.22 weeks; sd 0.36) who were born in the 40th week of gestation, none of whom had risk factors for DDH, were compared using physical examination and ultrasound according to the technique of Graf, within one week, after the correction of gestational age to the 40th week after birth or one week since birth, respectively. Both hips of all infants were included in the study. Ortolani’s and Barlow’s tests and restricted abduction were accepted as positive findings on examination. There was a statistically significant difference between pre- and full-term infants, according to the incidence of mature and immature hips (p < 0.001). The difference in the proportion of infants with an α angle < 60° between the two groups was statistically significant (p < 0.001). The incidence of pathological dysplasia (α angle < 50 º) was not significantly different in the two groups (p = 1.000). The Barlow sign was present in two (0.5%) pre-term infants and in 14 (2.8%) full-term infants.

These results suggests that prematurity is not a predisposing factor for DDH.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015; 97-B:716–20