P077 Ultrasound features of a traumatic hip pain in paediatric population

Background Atraumatic hip pain in children is a serious condition that may require urgent investigations. Conventional radiographs are often normal in early stage of the diseases. However, further imaging techniques such as hip ultrasonography (US) are needed. The main objective of this study is to describe Hip ultrasound findings in patients with atraumatic hip pain. Methods We conduct a retrospective monocentric study. Children with atraumatic hip pain and undergoing joint ultrasound were included. Sociodemographic, clinical and biological characteristics were collected. The data were analyzed using the SPSS statistical package. Results: Thirty patients (21 boys and 9 girls) were enrolled. The male to female sex ratio was 2.3. Mean age at disease onset was 9.1 ± 4.6 [1.3–16]. Median diagnosis delay from symptoms onset was 1.2 months [0.2–48]. Chief complaints were as following: 80% of inflammatory hip pain (n = 24), 20% of mechanical hip pain (n = 6) 76.7% of limping (n = 23), 23.3% of functional impotence (n = 7) and 23.3% of fever (n = 7). Physical examination noted a pain on passive joint mobilization and restriction of hip movement in 90% (n = 27) and 54% (n = 18) of cases respectively. A biologic inflammatory syndrome was found in 66.6% of cases (n = 20). Median ESR and CRP were 30 mm/h [2–101] and 4.5 mg/l [1–38] respectively. Hip X-ray was abnormal in 46.6% (n = 14) of cases. All patients had hip ultrasound. US findings were as following: 80% (n = 24) of joint effusion, 50% (n = 15) of synovial thickening, 36.7% (n = 11) of synovitis and 23.3% (n = 7) of positive power Doppler signal. Hip Ultrasound was normal in 13.3% (n = 4) of cases. Causes of hip pain were in decreasing order of frequency: septic arthritis (n = 10), juvenile idiopathic arthritis (n = 10), transient synovitis (n = 7), osteoid osteoma (n = 2) and osteosarcoma (n = 1). Conclusion Hip Ultrasonography is a noninvasive and useful screening technique for the management of atraumatic hip pain in children. Though, imaging features are often various and nonspecific. Radiologists should be more familiar with sonographic anatomy of infant hip.

Open reduction for developmental dysplasia of the hip: failures of screening or failures of treatment?

Introduction The aim of this study was to define the clinical indications and demographic characteristics of patients undergoing open reduction for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH), and determine the proportion due to preventable failures of contemporary clinical screening and early management. Methods Case notes were reviewed of consecutive primary open reductions performed for non-teratologic hip dislocation at the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children over a five-year period. Forty-eight patients (64 hips) were suitable for inclusion. A telephone survey confirmed selective hip ultrasonography screening protocols were employed in all maternity hospitals in our referral base. Results There were no cases of open reduction for unilateral DDH following Pavlik treatment commenced by six weeks of age, highlighting the importance of early detection and treatment. Eleven cases (23%) may have been avoided by appropriate implementation of existing selective ultrasonography screening protocols. Thirty-four cases (71%) presented after four months of age, suggesting open reduction is associated with late diagnosis rather than failure of primary management. None of these patients had neonatal hip ultrasonography and only 12% (4 patients) had a risk factor that should have triggered a scan. Conclusions Compared with published results, the contemporary screening practices in our referral base are failing to eliminate late presenting DDH and the need for open surgical reduction. Changes in strategy and implementation are required to significantly improve screening efficacy.