Definition
Hip dysplasia refers to a congenital canopy disorder of the femoral head. As a result, the femoral head can no longer be held in a centered position. As a result, the femoral head can slip out of the acetabulum very easily, causing severe pain. Hip dysplasia is one of the most common causes of load-dependent complaints in the groin region.
Cause
Hip dysplasia is a congenital maldevelopment (see: Hip dysplasia in children) of the hip joint. The reasons for this are mainly due to pregnancy, e.g. tightness in the womb, breech presentation or lack of amniotic fluid. But hereditary factors can also cause hip dysplasia.
As a rule, hip dysplasia is detected by ultrasound examination immediately after birth. Nevertheless, there are still patients whose hip dysplasia was not detected early in the newborn screening. Reasons for this are insufficient early diagnosis in other countries, or incorrect diagnosis due to inexperience of the examiner.
Due to the malformation of the hip joint and the lack of roofing over the femoral head, load-dependent stabbing groin pain and lateral hip joint pain occur. If the hip dysplasia is not recognized and treated in time, the hip joint can suffer permanent damage. Arthritic changes of the hip joint can occur, which cause severe pain with the smallest loads, long sitting or standing.
As a result, patients are severely restricted in their everyday movements. Often, a walking distance of 20 meters represents a severe hurdle. In order to cope with everyday life, the affected patients usually have to take painkillers regularly.
Diagnosis
Usually, a thorough anamnesis in combination with a conventional x-ray pelvic overview is sufficient to make a diagnosis of hip dysplasia. Here, the pelvis with the hip joints is x-rayed from front to back. The position of the femoral head covered by the acetabulum and the position of the femoral head in the joint must always be assessed. This information is decisive for the subsequent therapy.
