Hip joint articulator-to-trochanteric distance measurements in children: which in children aged 5 to 14 years does not grow with age.

Abstract

Background For pediatric orthopedists, the articulator-to-trochanteric distance (ATD) can be used in many diseases such as Legg-Calve-Perthes disease (LCPD), Developmental dysplaisa of the hips (DDH), Slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE), Pathological dislocation of the hips. The purpose of this study is to determine whether age affects the ATD values recorded in hip orthographic radiographs of children under the age of 14. The second aim is to study the growth rate of greater trochanter. Methods We retrospectively radiological results of 1787 cases of hip joint radiographs. The ATD, trochanter-to-trochanter distance (TTD), lesser trochanter-to-articular surface distance (LTA), capital femoral epiphysis-to- lesser trochanter distance (CLD) were measured. Grouping was performed according to gender and age. independent sample t-test, one-Way ANOVA were used. Results A total of 1787 cases of hip joints from six month to 14 years old were reviewed. The overall mean ATD of males aged 5 to 14 were 23.51 mm (p > 0.05), and that of females was 21.40 mm (p > 0.05), 95% confidence interval for male is (14.96, 31.60) mm, for female it is (13.99, 30.40) mm. k(TTD/AGE) was no statistical significance in k− male among men aged 8–14 (p > 0.05) and k− female among women aged 6–14 (p > 0.05). Conclusions Our data showed that the ATD value of children aged 5 to 14 years old was different between men and women in hip orthographic radiographs, but there was no difference between different ages. And the greater trochanter grows faster before the age of 8 for men and 6 for women.