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COLUMBIA ORTHOPEDICS SERVICES

Diagnosis & Treatment

Hip Dysplasia

Find an hip dysplasia specialist

How is Hip Dysplasia Diagnosed?

Diagnosis

Pediatricians routinely screen for hip dysplasia. During a newborn’s physical exam and at well-baby check-ups, the doctor will move the baby’s legs to look for differences in mobility between the two hip joints and listen for any sounds when they move. One leg may look shorter than the other. The doctor may use ultrasound imaging to confirm a hip dysplasia diagnosis in a baby younger than six months.

Symptoms of mild hip dysplasia may not appear until a child is older. For older children as well as adults, these imaging tests help the doctor make a diagnosis:

  • X-ray: Shows the shapes of bones in the hip joint
  • MRI (magnetic resonance imaging): Used to distinguish between bone and cartilage, and to identify a labral tear
  • 3D CT (computed tomography): Creates a detailed, three-dimensional image of the bones in the hip joint

How is Hip Dysplasia Treated?

Treatments

Treatment options for hip dysplasia depend on the age of the patient. The earlier hip dysplasia is treated, the more likely a child’s hip joint is to develop normally.

Illustration of a baby with a dislocated thighbone.

Babies aged six months and younger are usually fitted with a soft brace called a Pavlik harness, which holds the ball-shaped end of the thigh bone firmly in the hip socket. Over a few months, the socket grows into the correct shape.

Older babies may need surgery for hip dysplasia to realign the bones and then a cast to hold the joint in place as it gets back on track to normal development.

Adolescents and young adults have treatment options for hip dysplasia depending on the severity of the condition:

  • To relieve symptoms: anti-inflammatory medication, steroid injections, physical therapy
  • For mild dysplasia: monitoring for progression and symptom relief
  • For limited joint damage: surgery to reposition the bones
  • For extensive cartilage damage: total hip replacement surgery

FAQs

FAQs

Most adults with hip dysplasia were born with the condition. However, the dysplasia was mild and diagnosed when symptoms developed in adulthood.

If hip dysplasia goes untreated, you can develop painful complications such as arthritis, torn cartilage, a dislocated hip, and trouble walking.

In infants, some mild forms of hip dysplasia can heal on their own. Talk to your pediatrician about treatment options.

Get Care

Trust NewYork-Presbyterian for Hip Dysplasia Treatment

The orthopedic specialists at NewYork-Presbyterian and Columbia Orthopedics are experts on hip dysplasia in infants, children, and adults.

Make an appointment for a consultation to discuss the diagnosis and treatment options for hip dysplasia. Our doctors can help you understand the symptoms of hip dysplasia at all ages and help you decide on the treatment option that is best for you or your children.