Symptoms

Hip luxation in babies causes some outwardly visible symptoms that indicate the presence of a malposition. In most cases, however, these visible signs occur without symptoms such as pain, inflammation or the like, so that the baby does not initially suffer. These symptoms also serve as diagnostic indications in the clinical examination.

Already in the first days of a baby’s life, a hip luxation in the baby is conspicuous by symptoms such as leg length differences, in which the luxated leg is shortened compared to the healthy one, or limited mobility. The baby cannot spread the affected leg to a normal extent, which is also made more difficult by passive movements by the doctor. The hip luxation in babies also shows symptoms that only become apparent upon closer examination or specific testing.

Asymmetrical skin folds are usually visible on the thighs or buttocks, which can be an indication of hip luxation in the baby for the experienced doctor. The instability of the hip joint is one of the main signs of hip luxation in babies and is noticeable in that the femoral head slides out of the socket from the outside and back again when the leg is straddled. This phenomenon is also called Barlow’s sign.

In an attenuated form, a click in the hip joint can be felt during similar movements when hip dysplasia is still present without hip luxation, which is called Ortalani sign. However, these tests continue to damage the joint, so it is best to avoid triggering it in the baby.In addition, hip luxation does not initially cause any symptoms in the baby. However, if left untreated, a number of typical after-effects occur, which become noticeable in infancy.

Due to the frequent jumping out of the femoral head, the joint cartilage is increasingly damaged. Arthrosis develops early on, which is accompanied by difficulty walking and pain. The growth of the acetabulum in the child is also severely impaired, so that the malposition causes further symptoms as the child develops. This results in a limping gait pattern and weakness of the hip muscles. Often, hip dysplasia with hip luxation in small children is primarily noticed through knee pain.