DEVELOPMENTAL OBSERVATIONS OF A HIP ULTRASOUND SCREENING-PROGRAM TO EARLY DIAGNOSIS OF HIP-DYSPLASIA AT THE ORTHOPEDIC DEPARTMENT OF THE UNIVERSITY-HOSPITAL-HOMBURG-SAAR FROM 1985 TO 1990

The results of the hip ultrasound newborn screening at the orthopaedic department of the University Hospital Homburg/Saar underline the necessity of an early diagnosis of Hip dysplasia already during the first days of life. In the course of the following publication the benefit of using abduction-pants in case of physiological unripe and primary pathological hips is described closely. From October 1985 to December 1990 2317 newborns have been examined by ultrasound. The rate of Hip Dysplasia (type IID, IIg, IIIa) was at 104 hips (2.2%). Clinical striking facts were only found in 46.3% of all patients with primary pathological hips. After an precautionary broad swadding (Breitwickeln) or abduction-pants-treatment 331 (90.0%) hips of the 368 regular checked hips with type IIa developed with an average secondary anatomical healing of 2.5 months to Ia- or Ib-hips. After 3 months only just 12 hips corresponded to a diagnosis of type IIb according to Graf. A deterioration to a IIg or IIIa hip was only ascertained in two cases. With all 41 sufficiently controlled primary pathological hips an improvement to type Ia or Ib according to Graf achieved when treated with abductions pants (average duration of treatment: 4.3 months). None of the children had to undergo an operation because of instable hips.