In the elderly, the hip joint is one of the most affected joints in the body. However, hip joint problems are also seen in young adults due to different causes. In the most severe cases, hip implants are required to be placed surgically to fix the condition. Well, in this post, we will be talking about hip dysplasia in detail. 

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What is Hip Dysplasia?

Hip dysplasia is a medical term that defines a condition in which the hip socket (acetabulum) does not completely cover the ball portion (femoral head) of the joint. People suffering from this condition become highly prone to partial or complete dislocation. 

Studies have found that most people with hip dysplasia have this condition by birth. This is why it is also known as a congenital condition. 

What Are the Causes of Hip Dysplasia?

Hip Dysplasia is a congenital condition that often affects children at birth and there could be multiple reasons for that. At birth, there is soft cartilage at the hip joint which hardens into the bone when the child grows. For the hip joint to work properly, both the ball and the socket need to fit well. If they don’t there is always a risk of dislocation. 

During hip dislocation, the socket does not fully cover the ball and becomes shallow. There are certain reasons for congenital hip dysplasia:

• First pregnancy
• Large baby size
• Breech presentation

What Are the Symptoms of Hip Dysplasia?

Signs & symptoms associated with the condition vary according to the age of the patient. In infants, one leg may appear shorter than the other. As the child grows, limping may develop. Besides this, one side of the hip may appear less flexible than the other. 

If we talk about young adults, hip dysplasia may cause painful complications like hip labral tear or osteoarthritis. Besides this, activity-related groin pain may also occur. 

How Hip Dysplasia is Diagnosed?

Diagnosis of hip dysplasia in early infancy is important to correct the condition without any surgical intervention. The diagnosis of the condition is often made during regular well-baby visits. To check for the condition, the healthcare service provider will move the legs in different positions and confirm whether the hip joint fits well or not. 

Sometimes, hip dysplasia becomes difficult to diagnose as it may not show symptoms until the child grows into a young adult. In such cases, the healthcare service provider will order X-rays or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). 

How Hip Dysplasia is Treated?

The treatment of hip dysplasia depends on the age of the affected person and the severity of the damage. In infants, the healthcare service will try treating the condition with a soft brace like a Pavlik harness. It holds the ball part of the joint firmly in its socket. As a result, the socket molds over the femoral head as the child grows. However, the brace doesn’t work for babies over 6 months. In them, a full-body cast may work. In some cases, surgery may be required for the treatment. 
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