Hip Dysplasia in children may develop an abnormally shaped hip joint while in their mother’s uterus. At birth, all children should be examined by a paediatrician, who will be able to determine whether the child’s hips are dislocated or not. A dislocated hip at birth is not managed surgically, however, if conservative treatment methods fail, later surgical correction of the dislocation as well as the abnormal shape of the acetabulum and/or the femoral neck may be necessary.
A more difficult problem and is presented by children who have a located hip at birth, but who’s acetabular and proximal femoral anatomy is nonetheless abnormal. These patients with hip dysplasia often present with a limp as well as an abnormal rotational profile of the hip. Paediatricians are usually first consulted about this problem and referral to an orthopaedic surgeon usually takes place. The older the child, the more likely it is that surgical correction of the abnormal anatomy will be required. As with most conditions, there exist grades of severity of hip dysplasia and the mild grades are often never picked up in childhood and tell-tale clinical-and radiological signs of mild hip dysplasia are often found in adult patients who present early in life with either acetabular labral impingement and/or early onset osteoarthritis.
