Neonatal hip instability: screening with anterior-dynamic ultrasound method.

Abstract

The anterior-dynamic ultrasound method was used for screening 4,430 children for hip dislocation. The frequency of treatment for unstable hip joints was reduced to 0.18%, having been 1.7% without ultrasound screening. No cases of late-diagnosed dislocation were registered. The sensitivity of the pediatricians' clinical examination screening was low, only 24%. After intensive training over several years and improved clinical examination methods, our five technicians managed to increase the sensitivity to 53%. With clinical examination methods, cases of totally dislocated hips can be difficult to diagnose, and only two of four such hips were clinically diagnosed; the proportion of false-positive cases, 0.7%, was also considerable. The anterior-dynamic ultrasound method could optimize the screening results of many clinics.