Question

How can congenital hip dislocation be detected early?

Answer

Congenital hip dislocation includes pre-dislocation changes, where there is no dislocation in the hip joint during the period before the child starts to walk and stands at the age of one year. Although the pathological changes exist, the symptoms are not obvious or mild. After the child starts to stand and learn to walk, the hip joint gradually develops dislocation, and children with partial or complete dislocation show more obvious symptoms, but parents often find it difficult to notice because the child is just starting to learn to walk. Children with this condition tend to learn to walk later and walk in a slanted manner, resembling a crab or a duck. There is a noticeable forward curve in the waist when standing. If congenital hip dislocation can be detected early and treated early, the outcome is better and the cure rate is higher. If it is detected late, the treatment process is longer, the child experiences more pain, and the outcome is not ideal. Therefore, parents and medical staff must pay attention to how to discover this condition in time?

  1. Frog Test: In some developed countries in the West, after each newborn is born, the midwife must perform a frog test on them. Place the baby on their back on a table or bed, bend both legs at the hip and knee to 90 degrees, and then spread the legs outward. If both knees can touch the table surface at the same time, it is negative; if one knee’s knee cannot be flat on the table surface, there may be a dislocation. This is the simplest way to check for congenital hip dislocation early on.
  2. Place the child flat on a bed, bend their legs, and bring their heels together so that their knees are at the same level. If there is a high knee and a low knee.