Ultrasonography in developmental dysplasia of the hip

A safe, noninvasive method of imaging of the hip: it can be used both for d iagnosis and to monitor treatment. Provides advantages when combined with clinical examination: it can provide information on hip position, stability, and morphology. More sensitive than clinical examination and therefore can be used to resol ve the dilemma of whether to splint an unstable hip immediately or to delay treatment with the hope that transient instability will resolve spontaneou sly. A consensus has not been reached concerning the best age for ultrasonograph ic screening. Neonatal ultrasonography detects a high number of hips with possible instab ility that require follow-up studies. Hip ultrasonography performed at four to six weeks of age is more accurate. Substantial training and attention to technical details and evaluation of r esults are necessary to obtain reliable results.