In this article, we are going to answer the frequently asked questions by the parents such as “what is hip dislocation in infants?”, “which department treats the hip dislocation in infants”, “treatment of hip dislocation in infants”, “what are the risks associated with the hip dislocation in infants? How does it get diagnosed?”, “how do infants with hip dislocation walk?
What is Hip Dislocation in Infants?
Within the 1st month upon birth, all infants will experience a looseness on their hips due to the hormones passed down from their mothers. As this hormone becomes less effective, a solid hip structure, called stabile hip, develops.
However, in some cases, there is an inconsistency between the head of the femur and its frame, the acetabulum, which constitutes the hip joint. For the development of these two structures, the hip joint should be positioned within the acetabulum. In case of an inconsistency, as defined above, it must be diagnosed and treated properly.
Early diagnosis is crucial in the cases of hip dislocation or hip displacement. If these conditions are diagnosed within the first one or one and a half month, the defects may be corrected with certain preventive treatments.
Which Department Treats the Hip Dislocation in Infants?
All infants should be examined by a pediatrician upon birth as a preventive treatment. In case of a suspicion of hip dislocation, the infant, then, should be referred to an orthopedist specializing in pediatric orthopedics.
Treatment of Hip Dislocation in Infants
If an infant has a tendency towards hip dislocation, which should meet certain criteria based on the ultrasound scans, his/her legs may be treated in the open position by using an abduction device. The purpose of keeping the legs in the open position is to ensure that the head of the femur, which is prone to move out of its natural position, can be properly placed within the frame called acetabulum. As the time of treatment gets postponed, the size of the required treatment changes. While certain disorders may be corrected with some devices, a surgical intervention may be necessary in the later stages of the condition. Additionally, the size of the necessary surgery changes depending on the time of the diagnosis. For example, while it is possible to treat this condition with a small-scale soft tissue in 9-10 months old infants, the correction is only possible with bone osteotomy surgeries among infants over the age of one.
What Are the Risks Associated with the Hip Dislocation in Infants?
One of the primary risk factors associated with the hip dislocation is sex. The case of hip dislocation is 4-8 times more common among girls. Other risks factors are as follows:
Posture disorder in the mother’s womb. The risk of hip dislocation is higher among the children with anus outlet.
The lack of amnion liquid, called oligohydramnios, during the pregnancy poses a risk in terms of hip dislocation. Because the lack of this liquid affects the posture of the infant in the mother’s womb.
Genetical tendency is also a risk factor. The infants whose relatives have experienced the same type of problem are classified under the risk group.
How to Detect Hip Dislocation in Infants?
How to Diagnose Hip Dislocation in Infants? In order to come up with a diagnosis during the physical examination, the difference of the laps between the legs from one another is checked. If an ultrasound has not been performed on an infant, the parents usually want to see a doctor with this particular complaint.
If the infant is not older than 6 months, the case of hip dislocation may be diagnosed with certain tests called Ortolani and Barlow. The purpose of performing a hip dislocation test on the infants is to place the dislocated hip to its natural position or re-adjusting the hip showing a tendency towards dislocating.
If the infant is older than 6 months, the physician should check the existence of shortness in the infant’s legs. If one of the infant’s legs is shorter than the other, or if it is observed that the hip movements are more limited on one side, the case is diagnosed with hip dislocation.
In the later stages, the physician should check whether one of the legs is shorter than the other and whether the case shows a walking disorder. According to physical examination, the case may be diagnosed with hip dislocation.
How Do Infants with Hip Dislocation Walk? If the hip dislocation is apparent on one side, the infant will be limping while walking, since one of the legs will be shorter than the other. If the hip dislocation is apparent on both sides, the infant will be walking like a duck since both of the legs will be equal in length.