Prevalence of untreated hip dislocation in Turkish children aged 6 months to 14 years

Objective: In this study, our aim was to determine the prevalence of untreated hip dislocation and subluxation in Turkey. Methods: Pelvic radiographs of 4,947 children, aged between 6 months and 14 years, taken for non-orthopedic purposes were requested from 23 provinces around the country. 3,723 radiographs met the study criteria and were evaluated. Dislocated and subluxated hips were identified according to the relationship of femoral head using Perkin's line and quadrants. Results: Thirty-five hips in 22 children were found to be dislocated or subluxated. The prevalence rate was calculated as 5.9‰. Conclusion: Despite appearing to have decreased when compared to limited regional prevalence studies, hip dislocation and subluxation prevalence is still unacceptably high. More extensile work should be done to avoid external factors in the etiology of developmental dysplasia of the hip and to organize screening programs in newborns. © 2011 Turkish Association of Orthopaedics and Traumatology