Question

My daughter has a slight outward twist in her left foot as she learns to walk. I took her to a children’s hospital for a check-up, and the doctor said that her pelvic X-ray shows that the hip joint angle on the left side is 27 degrees and on the right side is 28 degrees, indicating a slight abnormality. The doctor suggested that she wear a walking brace or try to hold her legs apart frequently, which might allow for self-correction. Faced with this situation, I’m not sure what to do.

Answer

Conservative treatment options include using a harness and manual reduction. Harness treatment is mainly used for infants under six months old. For children between six months and two years, skin traction can be performed before surgery, followed by manual reduction under general anesthesia, and finally, a modified frog cast is used to immobilize for three months. If the position of the femoral head and acetabulum is stable, it can be changed to a modified frog frame for half a year or longer.