Aims The aim of this study was to establish the incidence of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) diagnosed after one-year of age in England, stratified by age, gender, year, and region of diagnosis. Patients and Methods A descriptive observational study was performed by linking primary and secondary care information from two independent national databases of routinely collected data: the United Kingdom Clinical Practice Research Datalink and Hospital Episode Statistics. The study examined all children from 1 January 1990 to 1 January 2016 who had a new first diagnostic code for DDH aged between one and eight years old. Results The incidence of late-diagnosed DDH was 1.28 per 1000 live births. Within the study population, 754 children were identified with a diagnosis of DDH after one-year of age. Of all late diagnoses, 536 (71.1%) were detected between one to two years of age. There were 608 female patients (80.6%) and 146 male patients (19.4%), giving a female-to-male ratio of 4.2:1. Distribution was evenly spread throughout England. Conclusion The incidence of late-diagnosed DDH has not been reduced from that reported 35 years ago, prior to the introduction of the national selective screening programme for DDH. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2019;101-B:281–287.

PurposeDevelopmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is common, and the term encompasses a spectrum of anatomical abnormalities of the hip in which the femoral head displaces from the acetabulum. These abnormalities may be congenital or develop during infancy and/or childhood. Neither the prenatal and postnatal factors that predispose to hip instability nor the determinants of its resolution or persistence are well characterised. A multifactorial pathogenesis of DDH is commonly accepted and identified risk factors include a family history, being first born, breech presentation, female gender, high birth weight and oligohydramnios 1. Further to genetic factors, a number of nutritional, hormonal and mechanical influences on ligament laxity have been hypothesised.MethodsA comprehensive search was conducted using NICE Healthcare Databases Advanced Search and Google Scholar engines, and the terms “nutrition”, “environmental”, “risk factors”, “CDH” and “DDH”. Wherever possible, evidence from randomised controlled trials, systematic reviews and expert review articles published in the medical and veterinary literature was considered.ResultsThe relationship between a number of hormones and biochemical markers of nutritional status and the development of DDH has been repeatedly hypothesised upon in the last 45 years. Of those most frequently cited are calcium, vitamins C and D, and relaxin hormone. The evidence for these potential risk factors is provided mainly by canine studies, with a paucity of consistent or strong evidence in humans.ConclusionsDDH is common and remains a leading cause of hip osteoarthritis in young adults. Neonatal clinical screening programmes for this condition have been in practice since the 1950s, albeit with varying levels of sensitivity. This review summarises current understanding of some of the most frequently cited nongenetic hypothesised risk factors, the significance of which remain to be determined.

Prior fragility fracture is an independent risk factor for incident ischaemic cardiovascular events in men. Further work may clarify whether this association is causal or represents shared risk factors, but these findings are likely to be of value in risk assessment of both osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease.

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