Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip

What is developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH)?

Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is a hip problem a baby is born with or that happens in the first year of life. In this condition, the top of the thigh bone doesn’t fit securely into the hip socket. This problem may affect one or both hip joints.

In a normal hip, the thigh bone fits tightly into a cup-shaped socket in the pelvis, and it is held in place by muscles, tendons, and ligaments. But in DHD, the hip socket may be too shallow or the tissues around the joint may be too loose.

• In mild cases, the ligaments and other soft tissues aren’t tight, so the thigh bone (femur) moves around more than normal in the hip socket.
• In more severe cases, the hip socket is more like a saucer than the deep cup that it should be. As a result:
  • The ball at the top of the thigh bone (femoral head) may slip partway out of the hip socket. This is called subluxation.
  • The femoral head may slide completely out of the hip socket. This is called dislocation.

It’s important to get DDH treated early. The longer it goes on, the more likely it is to cause long-term hip problems.

What causes DDH?

The exact cause of DDH is not known. But some things can raise your child’s chances of having it, including:

• Having a family history of DDH.
• Being the firstborn child.
• Being female.
• Being born buttocks-first (breech position).
• Having his or her legs swaddled tightly.
• Information taken from https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Health/pages/conditions.aspx?hwid=hw165967