How to Diagnose Congential Dysplasia

Congenital hip dysplasia is any abnormality of the hip joint present at birth. This is usually predominant among first-born children, female babies and babies born in breech position, with their legs raised up by the shoulders. Conducting certain diagnostic tests is only valid a few weeks after birth. Experienced medical practitioners usually do newborn screening for congenital hip dysplasia through clinical examination or ultrasound or X-ray reports.

Instructions

• 1

  Lie the baby down on a flat surface. Look for signs of leg-length discrepancy, uneven thigh skin folds and uneven buttocks fold when the baby is in a prone position. In children who have begun to walk, there may be slight limping, toe walking and a waddling "duck-like" gait on one side.

• 2

  To test for abnormalities in hip movement, two tests are usually performed: the Ortolani test and the Barlow test. To perform the Ortolani test, bend both of the patient's hips in a 90-degree angle. Grasp each of the patient's knees and slowly move them away from each other, spreading the legs apart to each side. A positive test would result to a distinct clicking sound with motion.

• 3

  Return the patient's femoral head by performing the Barlow test. Position the hips in a 90-degree angle. Put the legs together with the knees in full bent position. Place you thumb on the inner sides of both knees and the middle finger on the outer side of the patient's hips. Place a posterior pressure on both knees to detect any hip instability.