Sometimes, a doctor is able to diagnose hip dysplasia right after birth. However, it can take weeks, months or even years for signs to occur. Diagnosis generally begins with a physical exam, during which the physician may:

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• Put your child’s hip into different positions, listening and feeling for “clunks” each time it’s moved.

• Move the hip into certain positions to determine if the hip can be moved in and out of the socket. This is sometimes startling to babies, and your child may cry, but it is not generally painful.

• Rotate and flex the legs to make sure the thighbones are positioned correctly within the hip sockets.

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An ultrasound will be ordered if hip dysplasia is suspected and your child is 6 months old or younger. Treatment for hip dysplasia depends on your child’s age and the severity of his/her condition. Some children do not need any treatment. Your child’s doctor may choose to observe your baby’s hips through frequent check-ups as they develop to ensure that the joint forms normally with growth. In other cases, your child’s doctor may recommend non-surgical treatments or surgical treatments, which include:

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• Pavlik Harness. A Pavlik harness is a soft brace that is used to treat infants 6 months old or younger who have developmental dysplasia of the hip. The harness holds the ball of the joint in its socket , helping the socket deepen and ensuring the joint becomes more stable. The brace is typically worn 23-24 hours a day for 2-3 months. During this period, your child’s doctor will monitor your baby’s development through regular exams and ultrasounds. After your child is done wearing the brace, he/she will need to have ongoing check-ups for the next several years to continue to monitor the development of the hip joints.

• Rhino Bracing. Some babies’ hips do not respond well to the Pavlik harness. In this case, our doctors will recommend a Rhino brace to be worn 23-24 hours a day, which has been shown to successfully treat hip dysplasia in some children who have not found success with the Pavlik harness.

• Closed & Open Reduction Surgery. In a closed reduction, your doctor will inject contrast with a very fine needle into your baby’s hip to better view the joint. This is called an arthrogram. The arthrogram can guide your child’s doctor to set the ball back into the socket deeply. If the arthrogram reveals that your child’s hip cannot be put back into place, your child’s surgeon will perform an open reduction surgery. In this surgery, your child’s surgeon will make an incision over the hip joint and reposition the joint to its proper place. This procedure may also include reshaping the hip socket, redirecting the femoral head.

• Spica Cast. After a closed or open reduction surgery, your child will be placed into a spica cast: a body cast that extends from just under the armpits to the ankles. After your doctor has correctly set your child’s ball back into the socket, the Spica cast is used to hold the hip joint in the right position. The cast is typically worn for 3 months and is changed at the midpoint during that time. Learn More

Hip Dysplasia can be described in terms of its severity:

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• Dislocated. This is the most severe type of dysplasia. It occurs when the ball is completely outside of the socket.

• Dislocatable. The ball is in the socket but can easily be pushed out.

• Subluxatable. This is a mild type of dysplasia in which the ball is in the socket and it is loose. The bone can move around within the socket but doesn’t actually slip out of place.

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The symptoms of a child with hip dysplasia may include:

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• Leg length differences
• Less flexibility or mobility in one leg
• Uneven or lopsided creases in the thigh or buttock
• Unusual walking such as walking on toes, limping or waddling
• Sway back (increased low back curve)

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Learn More About Hip Dysplasia

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Other pediatric hip disorders we treat include:

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• Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease (often called Perthes). A condition that causes a temporary disruption of the blood supply to the ball of the thigh bone, which causes the bone to stop growing. The disease usually lasts between 18 and 36 months and it is more common in children between the ages of 4 and 10. Learn More

• Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis (SCFE). A hip problem that begins when the top of the thigh bone slips off the neck of the thigh bone. SCFE may develop in one or both legs. In many cases, this is a gradual process, but it can occur suddenly. Learn More

• Snapping Hip. A condition in which the hip makes a popping noise and sensation when it is flexed and/or extended. It is common in athletes and dancers. It is normally not painful, but it can be irritating. Learn More

• Hip Fracture. A break in the top of the thigh bone, also called the femur, or in the pelvis. Most hip fractures in children heal properly and in alignment when they are treated by an orthopedic specialist. To avoid any long-term damage, hip fractures should be treated quickly and correctly.  Learn More