Congenital dislocation of the hip

Lead investigator

Carol Dezateux

About the study

Paediatricians and orthopaedic surgeons reported the number of cases of congenital dislocation of the hip (CDH) first treated with abduction splinting for each month from April to July 1993.

Congenital dislocation of the hip (CDH) was a common and potentially disabling deformation. The screening programme used in the United Kingdom was introduced without prior evaluation. It aimed to identify presymptomatic cases by clinical examination, where splinting in abduction may avoid the need for surgery.

Questions had arisen about the effectiveness of this programme as cases not detected by screening continued to occur. Furthermore, the number of infants treated as a result of positive screening tests exceeded the expected number that would have received treatment for established dislocation in the absence of screening. Suggesting that the test may have a high false positive rate. Screening by ultrasound examination had been proposed as a more effective alternative, but this method required formal evaluation.

Objectives of the BPSU study were:

• To identify the number of infants (per 1000 live births) who receive treatment for CDH as a result of a positive screening test.
• To identify the number of infants and young children (per 1000 total population) who undergo an operative procedure for CDH, in whom CDH were not detected by screening.
• To identify the range and variability of existing screening practices for CDH in the UK.

Duration

April 1993 – July 1993

Published papers

Dezateux C, Godward S. A national survey of screening for congenital dislocation of the hip. Arch Dis Child. 1996 May;74(5):445-8. doi: 10.1136/adc.74.5.445. PMID: 8669963; PMCID: PMC1511532.

Support Group

STEPS
Web: www.steps-charity.org.uk E-mail: info@steps-charity.org.uk