The role of ultrasonography in the diagnosis and screening of developmental dysplasia of the hip in newborn

Abstract

Early diagnosis and treatment is rather important for prognosis of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). In newborns, acetabulum and proximal femur include more cartilage component. The aim of this study is to investigate ultrasonography, the pretentious method at evaluating acetabulum and proximal femur more dependable and easy, observe differences between normal and abnormal hips by ultrasonography and treat patients established in early term. 500 hips of the 250 newborns were evaluated by clinically and ultrasonography according to Grafs method for DDH between April 1997-August 1998 in Ondokuz Mayis University Medical School Department of Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery. The youngest newborns included in study were 1 and the oldest ones were 30 daily. End of evaluating, it was found 302 Type Ia, 94 Type Ib, 86 Type IIa, 7 Type IIb, 6 Type IIc, 2 Type IIIb and 3 Type IV. The hips that were evaluated to be pathologic were treated and followed in our department. It was decided that ultrasonography was easily applied, cheap, non-invasive and dependable method in diagnosis and screening of DDH in newborns.