Prevalence and incidence of developmental dysplasia of the hip among full term newborns at the Gospić General Hospital during a ten-year period (2004-2013)

Due to the fact that developmental dysplasia of the hip is the most common congenital deformity of the locomotor system, the aimof the study was to determine the incidence and prevalence of various degrees of congenital hip strains according to Graf in thenewborns born at the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Gospić General Hospital during a ten-year period (2004-2013). Allneonates born at the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Gospić General Hospital from 2004 to 2013 were examined afterbirth and before discharge from the hospital by the ultrasound diagnostics and their hip maturity was graded according to Graf,with IA and IB degrees termed matured, IIA+ degrees designated as border cases that underwent follow up ultrasound after four tosix weeks at the Department of Pediatrics, while generalized IIA- and higher, III and IV degrees were considered pathologic and consequentlyreferred to orthopedic specialist for further corrections. The study included 3874 hips in 1937 infants whose modifi ed degreesof hip maturity according to Graf were as follows: IA in 1265, IB in 1532, IIA+ in 828, generalized IIA- and higher in 173, III in 66,and IV in 10 hips examined during the ten-year period. This study confi rmed that neonatal screening with ultrasound according toGraf with the aim to determine the degree of hip maturity in newborns and followed by orthopedic correction in those with congenitalhip dislocations of generalized IIA- and higher, III and IV degrees confi rmed on regular follow up visits signifi cantly preventedtheir progression.

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