Disparity between Clinical and Ultrasound Examinations in Neonatal Hip Screening

Background: During infancy, among developmental abnormalities of the hip joint, a broad-spectrum anomaly is developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). To examine this abnormality, no standardized screening protocol is available. Clinical examination is most frequently followed, and in doubtful cases, ultrasound (US) examination is used to confirm the diagnosis. Aims: The present study aims to compare the sensitivity and specificity of clinical to US examination in neonatal hip screening to detect DDH. Materials and Methods: This is a 1-year hospital-based cross-sectional study. Newborns who were referred to the Department of Orthopaedics with suspected DDH and examined by both clinical examination and US examination were included in the study. The Chi-square test and Fisher’s t-test were used for statistical analysis. Results: Out of the 75 babies, referred two-thirds were girls. The mean age of the babies was 6.25 ± 3.50 days. The breech presentation was the common risk factor (85.33%) for DDH, and LSCS was the standard mode of delivery. Clinical diagnosis of DDH was positive among babies, more on the left side than the right side. Eight babies (10.67%) were diagnosed to have DDH based on Graf’s test using USG. Among them, 4 (50%) babies had a clinical diagnosis of DDH. The sensitivity of the clinical trial with USG as reference standard was 50% Conclusion: Due to the lower sensitivity of clinical examination, USG screening should be done to detect DDH.

ACR Appropriateness Criteria® on Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip—Child

Ultrasound is increasingly being used to complement the clinical examination in assessing neonatal hip instability. The clinical examination, although highly sensitive in detecting hip instability, can lead to considerable overtreatment. To compare anterior dynamic ultrasound and clinical examination in the assessment of neonatal hip instability and regarding treatment rates. 536 newborn infants (out of a population of 18,031) were selected, on the basis of a combination of risk factors, clinical signs of hip instability or ambiguous clinical findings, to undergo an anterior dynamic ultrasound examination of the hip, by a method developed by our group. This examination, performed by one out of seven experienced examiners, was compared with the standard clinical hip examination conducted by one of four pediatric orthopedic surgeons. The clinical examination was carried out both prior to and within a few hours after the ultrasound examination. The clinical examination diagnosed 81.7% of the hips as normal, 14.5% as unstable, and 3.8% as dislocatable or dislocated. With the dynamic ultrasound method, the corresponding figures were 87.8%, 10.4%, and 1.8%, respectively. Use of the criteria of the clinical examination resulted in treatment of 147 infants. Using the dynamic ultrasound examination as a criterion meant that 87 infants would receive treatment. The calculated treatment rate was 0.85% when based on the clinical stress test and 0.49% when based on the dynamic ultrasound. The dynamic ultrasound results reduced the treatment rate by over 40% when used as a basis for the decision regarding treatment.

1. Michael J. Goldberg, MD* 1. 2. *Tufts University School of Medicine, New England Medical Center, Boston, MA. This article provides a summary of the practice parameter of early detection of developmental dysplasia of the hip. The reader is urged to refer to the original document for a more thorough presentation.(1) Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is the preferred term to describe the condition in which the femoral head has an abnormal relationship to the acetabulum. DDH encompasses frank dislocation (luxation), partial dislocation (subluxation), instability wherein the femoral head moves in and out of the socket, and an array of radiographic abnormalities that reflect inadequate formation of the acetabulum. Because many of these findings may not be present at birth, the term “developmental” more accurately reflects the biologic features than does the term “congenital.” DDH may occur in utero, perinatally, or during infancy and childhood. The disorder is uncommon. Treatment is simpler and more effective when the dislocation is detected early. Despite newborn screening programs, dislocated hips continue to be diagnosed later in infancy and childhood. Late detection often delays appropriate therapy and frequently leads to a malpractice claim. The true incidence of DDH can only be presumed. There is no gold standard for diagnosis among newborns. Physical examination, plane radiography, and ultrasonography all are fraught with false-positive and false-negative results. The reported incidence of DDH is influenced by genetic and racial factors, diagnostic criteria, the experience and training of the examiner, and the age of the child at the time of examination. Some newborn screening surveys suggest evidence of instability in as many as 1 in 100 newborns and 1 to 1.5 cases of dislocation per 1,000 newborns. Regardless of the screening method used for the newborn, DDH is detected in 1 of 5,000 infants at 18 months of age. The object of this guideline is to reduce the number of dislocated hips detected …

Neonatal hip screening

To assess the effectiveness of early universal ultrasound (US) screening of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). A prospective study of universal hip screening of all mature neonates was conducted from 2012 to 2013, at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Szeged; 1636 newborns (3272 hips) had clinical examinations and hip ultrasound by the Graf method within the1st 3 days of life. Prevalence of DDH, risk factors, sensitivity and specificity of clinical examinations were evaluated. At the 1st US, 70 of the examined 3272 hips (2.14%) were found to be positive. According to Graf categories, the following distribution was observed: type II C, 21 hips (30.0%); D, 24 hips (34.28%); III, 24 hips (34.28%); IV, 1 hip (1.44%). Regarding the risk factors, female gender, breech presentation and positive family history proved to be significant. Interestingly, 28 (50.90%) of the 55 newborns with DDH had neither positive physical signs nor any risk factors, except being female. The physical examination was calculated for sensitivity (20.0%) and specificity (98.34%). In our 1-year period study, 50.9% of the newborns with DDH had neither any positive physical signs nor any risk factors, except being a female. In contrast, early universal US screening of the hip facilitated to diagnose all cases with hip dysplasia. Hip sonography is an effective mode of prevention in orthopaedics, however further studies are needed to compare the rates of operative procedures in selective versus universal screening models.

Purpose:To assess the percentage of missed developmental dysplasia of the hip, which escape the German criteria for newborn hip high-risk screening, we analyzed our data gained from the general neonatal sonographic hip screening performed at our department. The aim of the study was to determine the number of potentially belatedly treated developmental dysplasia of the hip.Methods:The data from 1145 standardized newborn hip ultrasound examinations according to the Graf technique were analyzed retrospectively comparing findings for general neonatal sonographic hip screening and high-risk screening subgroups.Results:We diagnosed developmental dysplasia of the hip in 18 of the 1145 newborns via ultrasound. A total of 10 out of 18 developmental dysplasia of the hip would have been missed by high-risk screening, which corresponds to a proportion of 55.6% false-negative results. The sensitivity of high-risk screening was only 44.4% and specificity, 78.3%. The positive predictive value was 3.2%. Family history as a screening criterion yielded false-negative results in 77.8% and false-positive results in 16.8%. In all, 83.3% of the children who were born with developmental dysplasia of the hip but not from breech position as a risk factor were false negative. The clinical examination was false negative in 88.9% and false positive in 0.6%.Conclusion:High-risk screening detected less than every second developmental dysplasia of the hip, rendering the first month as the most effective treatment window unavailable for inapparent dysplastic hips, potentially resulting in the need for more invasive treatment. Due to the high sensitivity of ultrasound in the detection of developmental dysplasia of the hip, we recommend to replace the current German high-risk screening guidelines with a general newborn screening for all neonates using Graf ultrasound in the first week of life.Level of evidence:Level II.

Early detection of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) in children is crucial. Due to COVID-19, maternal and child health services have been suspended temporarily, increasing the risk of late detection of DDH. This study aimed to reveal Japan’s current situation regarding community hip screening for newborns and infants and to provide health guidance for caregivers regarding DDH. A web-based, nationwide cross-sectional survey was conducted between February and March 2023 (n = 1737). One public health nurse overseeing maternal and child health per municipality responded to the 2022 municipality hip screening system. Among the 436 municipalities that responded (response rate: 25.1%), 97.5% implemented hip screening within 4 months, and approximately 60% performed it during newborn home visits, while only 2.3% conducted hip ultrasound screening. Perfect checking of the risk factors for DDH during newborn home visits and training opportunities for home visitors must be improved. Educational programs regarding DDH for home visitors and caregivers are needed to prevent the late diagnosis of DDH. Furthermore, collaboration between pediatric orthopedic surgeons and nurses is crucial for developing effective community-based hip-screening systems by bridging the evidence and practice gap in the early detection of DDH.

Concerns about radiation exposure have created a controversy over long-term radiographic follow-up of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) in infants who achieve normal clinical and ultrasonographic examinations. The purpose of this study was to assess the importance of continued radiographic monitoring by contrasting the incidence of residual radiographic dysplasia to the risks of radiation exposure. We reviewed a consecutive series of infants with idiopathic DDH presenting to our institution over 4 years. Infants with "normalized DDH" had achieved a stable clinical examination with an ultrasound revealing no signs of either hip instability or acetabular dysplasia. We excluded infants with persistently abnormal ultrasonographic indices, clinical examinations, or both by 6 months of age, including those requiring surgical reduction. Anteroposterior pelvic radiographs at approximately 6 and 12 months of age were then evaluated for evidence of residual radiographic acetabular dysplasia. Radiation effective dose was calculated using PCXMC software. We identified 115 infants with DDH who had achieved both normal ultrasonographic and clinical examinations at 3.1±1.1 months of age. At the age of 6.6±0.8 months, 17% of all infants demonstrated radiographic signs of acetabular dysplasia. Of infants left untreated (n=106), 33% had dysplasia on subsequent radiographs at 12.5±1.2 months of age. No significant differences were evident in either the 6- or 12-month rates of dysplasia between infants successfully treated with a Pavlik harness and infants normalizing without treatment but with a history of risk factors (P>0.05). The radiation effective dose was <0.01 mSv for the combined 6- and 12-month single-view anteroposterior radiographs of the pelvis. The notable incidences of radiographic dysplasia after previous DDH normalization in our study cohort appear to outweigh the risks of radiation exposure. Our findings may warrant radiographic follow-up in this population of infants through at least walking age to allow timely diagnosis and early intervention of residual acetabular dysplasia. Level IV-retrospective case series.

1. Blaise A. Nemeth, MD, MS* 2. Vinay Narotam, MD† 1. *Associate Professor, Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI. 2. †Assistant Professor, Department of Orthopaedics, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC. * Abbreviations: AVN: : avascular necrosis DDH: : developmental dysplasia of the hip Early detection of developmental dysplasia of the hip is essential because restoration of the normal relationship of the femoral head and acetabulum increases the likelihood of normal development. Pediatricians must be aware of the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines for early detection. After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Acknowledge the spectrum of hip pathology included in developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). 2. Identify newborns at risk for DDH. 3. Diagnose hip dislocations by using appropriate physical examination maneuvers. 4. Appropriately use imaging modalities to screen for DDH in infants who have normal or equivocal physical findings. 5. Recognize the presentation of hip dislocation in the older child. Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) encompasses the spectrum of hip abnormalities involving the relationship between the femoral head and the acetabulum during early growth and development. A hip may be dislocated at rest, dislocatable (but in a normal position at rest), subluxed (incomplete contact between the femoral head and acetabulum), subluxable (incomplete contact induced with provocative maneuvers), or appear normal on physical examination yet have an abnormally shaped acetabulum or femoral head radiographically. The previously used term, “congenital hip dislocation,” has been abandoned in recognition of this spectrum, acknowledging as well the fact that a child may have normal examination findings at birth but progress to dislocation later in life. Strictly speaking, the term DDH does not apply to abnormal development of the hip due to other diseases, such as cerebral palsy, Legg-Calve-Perthes disease, or slipped capital femoral epiphysis, in which “hip dysplasia” is a sufficient term, nor does the term include traumatic dislocation. In addition, the term “teratologic dislocation” is reserved …

Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is the most common congenital deformation of the musculoskeletal system and its successful treatment is closely related to early diagnosis. The study is aimed at examining the incidence of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) and at analysing the validity of clinical examination, which is used for the early detection of DDH in the neonatal period, compared to ultrasound examination. The study involved 400 neonates born in the Banja Luka Region. A new questionnaire was open during the first regular ultrasound and clinical examination of the neonates’ hips and anamnestic and clinical data were recorded in it: the asymmetry of the gluteal, inguinal and femoral folds (Bade sign), the result of abduction test separately for each hip, the Ortolani sign of luxation and the Palmen sign of reposition, then hip sonography. A Toshiba ultrasound machine with a 7.5 MHz linear probe was used. The method employed was Professor Reinhard Graf’s. Out of the total number of the children with a positive sonographic finding for DDH, 63.16% of them have one of the clinical signs of DDH. The ability of a clinical finding to identify those patients who do not have DDH and have a negative sonographic finding is 79.8%. Out of the total number of the examined children with a positive clinical finding, only 15.58% of them also have a positive sonographic finding for DDH. This research has showed that clinical examination of the hips is of low sensitivity, specificity and reliability, and that not all types of DDH can be detected. Clinical examination must remain an integral part of every infant’s examination, but it constitutes a complementary diagnostic procedure to ultrasound examination. The ultrasound examination of DDH has created new possibilities and has filled the void that existed due to the deficiency of clinical tests, and at the same time it has reduced the number of X-ray examinations of the hips. This research has confirmed that clinical examination of the hips does not meet the screening criteria. It must remain an integral part of an infant’s examination because it, among other things, provides the information which enables the orthopaedic surgeon to choose the most beneficial therapeutic procedures in DDH treatment. Acta Medica Medianae 2011;50(1):26-31.

There is still lack of consensus regarding the most effective follow-up for stage I and II melanoma patients although some consensus conferences have provided guidelines stating that clinical examination should be the standard. Our aim was to study the value of adding ultrasound lymph node examination (7.5 MHz) to the routine clinical examination recommended by French guidelines in melanoma follow-up. A cohort of melanoma patients was enrolled between 1 July 1995 and 1 July 2000 in a follow-up protocol including clinical examination performed four times a year for thick melanomas (Breslow index > or = 1.5 mm) and twice a year for thin melanomas (Breslow index < 1.5 mm) according to French guidelines, and ultrasound lymph node examination performed every 6 months for thick melanomas and every year for thin melanomas. Follow-up was continued up to 1 July 2003. When clinical or ultrasound examination indicated signs of node recurrence, surgical biopsy of the involved node was performed. When ultrasound examination was only suspicious, another ultrasound examination was performed within the following 3 months. The results of both clinical and ultrasound examinations were compared with histopathology examination when node biopsy was performed. Ultrasound follow-up was performed for 373 patients (213 females and 160 males). Mean age at diagnosis of melanoma was 59 years (range 14-90, SD 15). In total, 1909 ultrasound examinations combined with clinical examination were analysed. Node biopsy was performed in 65 patients and demonstrated melanoma metastases in 54. Sensitivity of clinical examination and ultrasound examination was 71.4%[95% confidence interval (CI) 55.4-84.3] and 92.9 (95% CI 80.5-98.5), respectively, P = 0.02. Specificity of clinical examination and ultrasound examination was 99.6% (95% CI 99.2-99.8) and 97.8% (95% CI 97.0-98.4), respectively. Despite this apparent superiority of ultrasound examination over palpation, only 7.2% of the patients really benefited from ultrasound examination (earlier lymph node metastasis detection or avoidance of unnecessary surgery), while 5.9% had some deleterious effect from ultrasound examination (unnecessary stress caused by repetition of ultrasound examination for benign lymph nodes, useless removal of benign lymph node). This study confirms the greater sensitivity of ultrasound examination to clinical examination in the diagnosis of node metastases from cutaneous melanoma. However, the place of ultrasound in routine follow-up is at least questionable as only a very small proportion of patients (1.3%) really benefited from adding ultrasound examination to clinical examination.

Developmental dysplasia of the hip is an important cause of disability in children and young adult and it also has a significant socio-economic impact in our society. The main objective of our study is to evaluate, in our hospital, the effectiveness of a universal ultrasound screening protocol and to assess the general knowledge about the theme of pediatricians and neonatologists. Retrospective study of infants born from January 2016 to April 2019, evaluated with hip ultrasound (Graf method). Risk factors assessed were female gender, breech presentation at birth, positive family history and twin birth. For the secondary objective, an anonymous and validated questionnaire was distributed to all pediatricians and neonatologists. Among the 4000 hips analyzed, on ultrasound examination, 98.8% hips resulted mature or immature but appropriate for age, while 1,2% hips were pathological. Analyzing the mature or immature hips, 2,4% were positive on clinical examination and 97,6% were negative. In relation to ultrasound pathological hips, 33,3% have positive clinical examination, while 66,7% negative. From the analysis of risk factors a significant association emerged between female sex, breech presentation and family history with the ultrasound pathological findings. The results of Survey showed that inadequate training about developmental dysplasia of the hip is done during medical school. A universal ultrasound screening allowed us to identify developmental dysplasia of the hip in a number of children with normal clinical examination and no risk factors. Specific training courses should be implemented regarding Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip for neonatologists and pediatricians.

Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is a condition that includes a wide spectrum of anomalies ranging from simple instability with ligamentous hyperlaxity to the complete displacement of the femoral head outside the abnormally developed cotyloid cavity. Early detection and initiation of treatment allow “restitutio ad integrum” healing, which has raised the medical community’s interest in early diagnosis. However, in countries with limited material resources, where echographic screening is not performed, efforts are being made to increase the sensitivity of clinical screening. Thus, the concept of “hip at risk” is taking shape worldwide. This is the normal clinical hip, but associated with one or more risk factors. We conducted a retrospective study for the period 2010–2015 with patients who presented in the ambulatory clinic of the St. John Children’s Clinical Hospital, Galati. The study included 560 patients, who were all examined clinically and sonographically, according to the Graf method, by a senior orthopedic doctor with competence in hip sonography. The data obtained from the anamnesis, clinical examination, and ultrasound examination were recorded in the DDH file. The goal of the statistical analysis of the group of patients was to find a correlation between DDH and the risk factors used in the clinical detection of this pathology. In the studied group, four risk factors were identified that have an increased association with DDH: female sex, pelvic presentation, limitation of coxo-femoral abduction, and congenital clubfoot; thus, the conclusion of the study is that patients who have at least one of the listed risk factors should be examined sonographically as quickly as possible. The early ultrasound examination will allow the identification of the disease and the initiation of treatment.

Background:Developmental dysplasia of hip (DDH) is one of the congenital anomalies in newborns that if not diagnosed and treated on time can lead to a severe disability. Although clinical examination is a very useful way for screening, but in some patients, a confirmatory diagnostic method such as ultrasonography is needed. The aim of the present study is to compare the sensitivity and specificity of clinical examination and ultrasonography in early detecting of DDH.Materials and Methods:A total of 5800 of newborns were examined by orthopedic surgeon as a screening method. The newborns with risk factors or suspicious on clinical examination were introduced to repeat clinical and ultrasonographic examination of hip. The results were collected and recorded by a check list and then the sensitivity and specificity of clinical examination were calculated.Results:Of 5701 newborns (11402 hips) who were studied by two methods of clinical examination and ultrasonography (by Graf method), the overall incidence of DDH was 29 per 1000. Only 94 hips (13.5%) of 694 disordered ones according to clinical examination were involved on ultrasonographic evaluation. A total of 240 hips of 334 (72%) involved hips according to ultrasonography (Graf type IIb or more) were diagnosed normal on clinical examination, considering ultrasonography as a gold standard method of evaluating DDH, the sensitivity and specificity of clinical examination were calculated 28.1% and 94.5%, respectively.Conclusion:According to the present study, ultrasonogeraphic examination has a high valuable in screening of DDH and the clinical examination done by an experienced orthopedic surgeon has an acceptable value in primary screening of DDH in developing countries for detecting of healthy neonates, but if the newborn has a risk factor or is suspicious on clinical examination, it will be necessary to get assistance from ultrasonography by an experienced sonographer.