Simple or stress sonographic hip screening in the newborn versus simple hip screening at the age of three to four months

ABSTRACT

The study was carried out to find the most appropriate age and sonographic method to detect developmental dysplasia of the hip [DDH]. 4411 newborns and infants were examined clinically and by simple or stress sonography. The study was divided into three parts. In the first part 1823 newborns were examined by simple sonography at birth and followed up monthly until the age of three months. In the second part 1511 newborns were examined by stress sonography and followed-up until the age of three months. In the third part 1077 infants were examined by simple sonography at the age of three to four months. In part one hip pathology requiring treatment was detected in 85 infants [4.66 per cent]. In 34 infants the diagnosis was made at birth while in the remaining 51 infants hip pathology was detected one to three months after birth. In 22 infants of the latter group, hips were initially of type 1b which, according to Graf, will not deteriorate. In the second part, hip pathology requiring treatment was detected in 88 infants [5.8 per cent]. In 33 infants hip pathology was detected at birth and in 55 it was detected at one to three months after birth. In the third part, hip pathology requiring treatment was found in 14 infants [1.3 per cent]. Simple hip sonography at the age of three months is able to detect all pathological hips and reduce the number of treated infants more than three fold