INFLUENCE OF SONOGRAPHY ON THE DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF CONGENITAL HIP DISLOCATION

By means of a retrospective analysis of the hospital reports of 107 ch ildren with 131 dislocated hips we investigated the influence of ultra sound examination on the diagnosis and therapy of congenital dislocati on of the hip. We could show, that although the ultrasound examination had increased since 1985 the number of dislocated hips receded only l ittle. However the diagnosis was made earlier in children who had been examined by ultrasound. In these children operative reposition of the dislocated hip had to be performed less frequently compared to the un examined children. Several case reports are given to demonstrate typic al faults in ultrasound diagnostics and treatment of congenital hip di slocation. Our results support the call for a general ultrasound scree ning of the newborn hip.