Modified Ilizarov hip reconstruction in treatment of adolescent hip instability

Abstract

To evaluate the effectiveness of modified Ilizarov hip reconstruction in the treatment of hip instability. The clinical data of 13 young patients with hip diseases treated with modified Ilizarov hip reconstruction between January 2010 and March 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 2 males and 11 females, aged from 14 to 34 years, with an average age of 24.2 years. There were 1 case of hip dysplasia and dislocation due to spinal bifida, 3 cases of hip dysplasia after pyogenic arthritis of the hip, 2 cases of developmental dysplasiaof the hip (DDH) accompanying femoral head necrosis who rejected hip replacement, 6 cases of young DDH refused to undergo hip replacement, and 1 case of bilateral hip dysplasia with dislocation due to sputum cerebral palsy. The disease duration was 2-20 years, with an average of 8.5 years. Preoperative Trendelenburg sign was positive in 12 cases and negative in 1 case. The preoperative Harris score of hip joint was 53.5±8.9 and the unequal length of lower limbs was (46.08±15.73) mm. Postoperative Harris hip score and patients' satisfaction with effectiveness evaluated according to their self scoring were used to assess the effectiveness. All 13 patients were followed up 1-5 years, with an average of 2.6 years. Five patients developed postoperative needle infection, which improved after dressing change; 7 patients had limited knee joint activity and improved after knee joint function training. The Trendelenburg sign was negative at 1 year after operation, and the patient's hip pain symptoms were relieved or disappeared. The Harris hip score of patients at 1 year after operation was 84.5±6.1, which was significantly improved when compared with preoperative one ( t=－10.538, P=0.000). According to Harris hip score, the effectiveness results were excellent in 4 cases, good in 5 cases, and fair in 4 cases, with an excellent and good rate of 69.2%. The unequal length of lower limbs was (15.38±7.27) mm, which was significantly better than that before operation ( t=11.826, P=0.000). At last follow-up, the patients' satisfaction score was 80%-95%, with an average of 88%. Modified Ilizarov hip reconstruction can be used to treat young patients with hip disease who are unsuitable or refuse to undergo artificial hip replacement. Its effectiveness is reliable, and it has unique advantages in limb limp improvement and limb shortening correction.