new sonographic angle to predict developmental hip dysplasia

ABSTRACT

Ultrasonography has filled the imaging gap for hip dysplasia in infants. It became an essential part of neonatal hip screening in several countries. However, it did not prevent the appearance of late cases of developmental dysplasia of the hip [DDH]. I have examined 28 infants clinically and sonographically at an average age of 29.7 days. Examination was repeated after 3 months. All the cases were assessed in the standard plane of Graf to measure alpha angle, beta angle and a new acetabular angle. The relationship between the new angle and alpha angle was statistically significant with a correlation coefficient 0.524 [P < 0.05]. This angle records the direction of the whole acetabulum [bony and cartilaginous] and detects the earliest dysplastic changes