Hip Screening in Infants Presenting with Asymmetricity of Lower Extremity

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the clinical features of congenital postural deformities and lower extremity asymmetry with respect to the presence of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) in infants with a discrepancy of the limb length referred for suspected DDH. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records and radiographs of 150 infants who visited Korea University Anam Hospital Orthopedic Clinic for suspected DDH between March 2013 and March 2015. Results: There were greater numbers of infants with a shorter lower extremity on the left side (n=86, 57.3%) than the right. Plagiocephaly was present in 62 infants and trunk curvature in 124 infants (82.7%). Pelvic tilting—indirectly assessed by a skewed direction of the external genitalia in female infants—was present in 62 infants (63.3%). None of the 139 infants with normal physical examination of the hip were diagnosed with DDH. Of those 11 infants with abnormal findings from the hip physical examination, a total of 6 infants were diagnosed with DDH. Conclusion: Regardless of the associated findings of congenital postural deformation, all infants diagnosed with DDH had abnormal findings from the physical examination of the hip joint. Thus, we conclude that the hip examination is important as the primary clinical screening in aiding the diagnosis of DDH.