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1

 

 

Fifth stage 

Surgery-Ortho 

Lec-1

 

د

ه

ش

ا

م

 

القطان

 

8/3/2016

 

 

The Hip 

CLINICAL    ASSESSMENT OF  THE  HIP 

 
History 

 

Pain arising in the hip joint is felt in the groin, down the front of the thigh and, 
sometimes, in the knee; occasionally knee pain is the only symptom. 

 

Pain at the back of the hip is seldom from the joint: it usually derives from the lumbar 
spine. 

 

Stiffness may cause difficulty with putting on socks sitting in a low chair. 

 

Limp is common, and sometimes the patient complains that the leg is 'getting 
shorter'. 

 

Walking distance may be curtailed or, reluctantly. the patient starts using a walking 
stick. 

 
CLINICAL EXAMINATION
  

*SIGNS WITH THE PATIENT UPRIGHT 

 

The gait is noted.  

o  Antalgic gait. 

o  Shortening (short-leg limp). 

o  Abductor weakness (Trendelenburg Lurch).  

 

 

The Trendelenburg test 

The patient is asked to stand, unassisted, on each leg in turn; while standing on one 
leg, he or she has to lift the other leg by bending the knee  

Normally  

 

the weight-bearing hip is held stable by the abductors and the pelvis rises on the 
unsupported side.  

if the hip is unstable, or very painful, the pelvis drops on the unsupported side. 

 


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A positive Trendelenburg test is found in:  

 

Dislocation or subluxation of the hip. 

 

Weakness of the abductors.  

 

Shortening of the femoral neck.  

 

Painful disorder of the hip. 

 

*SIGNS WITH THE PATIENT LYING SUPINE 

Look 

 

if one leg seems to be shorter than the other.  

 

Look for scars or sinuses, swelling or wasting and any obvious deformity or 
malposition of one of the limbs.  

 

(In babies) Asymmetry of skin creases may be important. 

 

Feel 

 

Bone Contour are felt when leveling the pelvis and judging the height of the greater 
trochanters. 

 

Move 

 

The assessment of hip movements is difficult because any limitation can easily be 
obscured by movement of the pelvis. 

 

Hip Range of Motion: 

1.  FLEXION 

2.  EXTENSION  

3.  Internal Rotation 

4.  External Rotation 

5.  Adduction 

6.  Abduction 

7.  Abduction 

 

 


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*SIGNS WITH THE PATIENT LYING PRONE 

 
THE DIAGNOSTIC CALENDAR 

 

Hip disorders are characteristically seen in certain well-defined age groups.  

 
Age of onset 

 

Age  years  

 

birth 

 

10-20 

 

0-5 

 

5-10 

 

Adults 

 

Historical review FOR DDH               

 

Dupuytren – Paris (1800’s) 

Dissected DDH specimens. he did not think condition could be treated. 

 

Paletta – Milan – 1820 

First anatomic description of congenitally dislocated hip(15 day old boy –Bilateral 
DDH). 

 

Diagnosing DDH Early 

La Damanay –Rennes – 1908. 

Ortolani – Italy –1937. 

 

Normal Growth and Development 

 

Embryologically the acetabulum, femoral head develop from the same primitive 
mesenchymal cells cleft develops in precartilaginous cells at 7th week and this 
defines both structures 11wk hip joint fully formed. 

 

femoral head deeply seated in acetabulum by surface tension of synovial fluid and 
very difficult to dislocate. 

 

in DDH this shape and tension is abnormal in addition to capsular laxity. 

Probable diagnosis 

 

 Developmental dysplasia. 

 

  Infections. 

 

  Perthes' disease. 

 

  Slipped epiphysis. 

 

  Arthritis. 

 


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The condition formerly known as congenital dislocation of the hip and now called 
developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH).WHY? 

 
DDH Comprises a spectrum of disorders:  

 

Frank dislocation during the neonatal period; Subluxation (partial displacement)  

o  Shallow acetabulum (acetabular dysplasia) without actual displacement. 

o  dislocatable. 

o  dislocation. 

 
Incidence of neonatal hip 

 

instability is 5-20 per 1000 live births.  

o  however, most of these hips stabilize spontaneously. 

 

Re-examination 3 weeks after birth the incidence of instability is only 1 or 2 per 1000 
infants.  

 

Girls are much more commonly affected than boys, The ratio being about 7: l. 

 

The left hip is more often affected than the right. 

 

 in 1 in 5 cases the condition is bilateral 

 
Risk Factors 

 

80% Female 

 

First born children 

 

Family history: 6% one affected child, 12% one affected parent, 36% one child + one 
parent 

 

Oligohydramnios. 

 

Breech (sustained hamstring forces). 

 

Swaddling cultures. 

 

Left 60% (left occiput ant),  

o  Right 20%. 

o  both 20%  

 

foot deformity 


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Aetiology and pathogenesis 

Genetic factors  

 

must be important, for DDH tends to run in families and even in entire populations 
(e. g, along the northern. 

Hormonal changes  

 

in late pregnancy may aggravate ligamentous laxity in the infant. 

Intrauterine malposition  

 

especially a breech position with extended legs, would favor dislocation. 

Postnatal factors  

 

play a particular  in maintaining any tendency to instability.  

 

 
Clinical features 

 

The ideal, still unrealized, is to diagnose every case at birth.  

 

When there is a family history of congenital dislocation, and with breech 
presentations (presence of risk factors). 

 

 For this reason, every newborn child should be examined for signs of hip instability. 

  
*Neonatal diagnosis 

 

There are several ways of testing for instability.  

 
1-Ortolani’s test
 

 

the baby's thighs are held with the thumbs medially and the fingers resting on the 
greater  trochanters; 

 

the hips are flexed to 90 degrees and gently abducted.  

 

Normally there is smooth abduction to almost 90 degrees.  

 

 

 

 


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2-Barlow's test 

 

In DDH the movement is usually impeded, but if pressure is applied to the greater 
trochanter .there is a soft 'clunk' as the dislocation reduces, and then the hip abducts 
fully (the 'jerk of entry'). 

 

3-Barlow’s Provocative test 

Performed in a similar manner but here the examiner's thumb is placed in the groin and, 
by grasping the upper thigh, an attempt is made to lever the femoral head in and out of 
the acetabulum during abduction and adduction. 

 

If the femoral head normally in the reduced position, can be made to slip out of the 
socket and back in again. 

 

the hip is classed as 'dislocatable' (i.e. unstable). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Investigations

 

 

 
*in early infancy  

 

Every hip with signs of instability – however 
slight - should be examined by 
ultrasonography. 

 

This provides a dynamic assessment of the 
shape of the cartilaginous socket and the 
position of the femoral head 


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Late features 

 

Ideally, all children should be examined again at  

o  6 months. 

o  12 months . 

o  and 18 months of age, so as to be sure that late-appearing signs of DDH are 

not missed.  

 

With unilateral dislocation are asymmetrical creases. 

 

the hip does not abduct fully . 

 

the leg is slightly short and rotated  internally. 

 

Bilateral dislocation is more difficult to detect because there is no asymmetry and the 
characteristic waddling gait may be mistaken . 

 

Perineal gap is abnormally wide and abduction is limited.  

 

hyperlordosis in bilateral cases 

 

Galleazi sign flex both hips and one side shows apparent femoral shortening 

 

 

 

 

 


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**Investigations in late DDH For diagnosis  

X-ray examination is helpful in older children. 

 

The ossific centre of the femoral head is underdeveloped, and from its position it 
may be apparent that the head is displaced upwards and outwards 

 
Plain Radiographs

 

 

 

Hilgengreiner’s line is 
across the triradiate 
cartilage. 

 

Perkins line is vertical 
along the lateral border of 
the acetabulum. 

 

Shenton’s line.  

 

Acetabular index is the 
angle between the 
acetabulum and 
hilgenreiner’s line 

 

It should be less than 30 
degrees in a newborn 

 
 

 

The Limping Child: Age 1 – 3 DDH 

X-ray findings 

 

Delayed appearance of ossific nucleus 

 

Small ossific nucleus 

 

Dysplastic acetabulum

 

 

 

Proximal displacement of femur 

 

 

 

 


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TREATMENT

 

 

 

*Treatment under 6 months of age 

 

The simplest and safest policy is to regard all infants with a positive Ortolanis or 
Barlow test  as DDH . 

SO 

 

Nurse them in double napkins. 

 

or with an abduction pillow between the legs for the first 6 weeks.  

 

those with persistent instability are treated by more formal abduction splintage until 
the hip is stable. and x-ray shows that the Acetabular roof is developing satisfactorily 
(usually 3-6 months). 

 
Splintage
 

 

Arnold Pavlik 1902-1962 

 

Pavlik’s Father – Harness Maker 

 

Pavlik and his Harness 

 

1946 –Pavlik   introduces his leather harness : Czech Ortho Society, Prague 

 

Modern Day Pavlik –San Diego 

 

*Treatment of persistent dislocation; 6 months to 6 years 

 

If, after early treatment, the hip is still incompletely reduced, 

 

or if the child presents late with a 'missed' dislocation, 

 

the hip must be reduced and held reduced until acetabular development is 
satisfactory this done by 

Closed reduction 

 

Manipulation under anaesthesia carries a high risk of femoral head necrosis.  

 

To minimize this risk. 

 

reduction must be gradual traction is applied to both legs, preferably on a vertical 
frame, and abduction is gradually increased until, by 3 weeks by gallows traction,  

 

to over come A vascular necrosis Then Splintage 


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If concentrically reduced, the hips (both) are held in a plaster spica at 60 degrees of 
flexion, 40 degrees of abduction and 20 degrees of internal rotation. 

 

After 6 weeks, the plaster is replaced by a splint that prevents adduction but allows 
movement. 

If failed Open reduction 

 

at any stage, concentric reduction has not been achieved by conservative methods. 

 

open operation is needed.  

 
*Treatment after the age of 6 years 

For unilateral dislocation 

 

operative reduction is still feasible. 

 

it may be necessary to combine this with corrective osteotomy of the femur or 
innominate osteotomy of the pelvis.  

With bilateral dislocation 

 

the deformity is symmetrical and therefore less noticeable; Therefore, most surgeons 
avoid operation unless pain or deformity is unusually severe.  

 

ALGORITHM 
FOR 
TREATMENT 
OF DDH  

 




رفعت المحاضرة من قبل: Abdalmalik Abdullateef
المشاهدات: لقد قام 7 أعضاء و 115 زائراً بقراءة هذه المحاضرة








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