Impact of Multiple Factors on the Incidence of Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip

Abstract

Introduction: Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is one of the most common musculoskeletal conditions in children. Not treated DDH leads to disability, gait abnormalities, limb shortening and chronic pain. Our study aims to determine the impact of multiple risk factors on the occurrence of DDH and develop an interactive risk assessment tool.Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study in the Outpatient Clinic for Children of University Hospital. The Graf classification system was used for ultrasonographic universal screening. In total, 4881 infants met the eligibility criteria (n = 9762 hip joints). Hypothesis testing was performed with χ² test and logistic regression.Results: The incidence of DDH was 4.57%. We have proven risk factors of DDH: female gender (OR=7.11), breech position (OR=3.65), Caesarean section (OR=1.43), positive family history in parent (OR=1.92) or sibling (OR=3.84). Preterm delivery decreased the risk (OR=0.17). Logistic regression was used to construct the interactive risk calculator.Conclusion: The DDH risk calculator was built but needs external validation in prospective study before being used in a clinical setting. We confirmed well-known DDH risk factors in the studied population. Our results support the recent hypothesis that preterm infants (37 < week) have lower rate of DDH.Level of Evidence:Retrospective cohort study: Level III