Hip ’Op
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Timing of Surgical Intervention for Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip
IRAS ID
144701
Contact name
Louisa Little
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
9 years, 11 months, 30 days
Research summary
Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) affects thousands of children each year and ranges from mild hip instability to complete dislocation of the hip. There is no single cause but children born in the breech position and those with a family history of DDH are most at risk. The most effective treatment for children with DDH is carried out in the first 3 months of life with the application of a harness or splint which is applied for a period of weeks. Unfortunately, not all children respond to this treatment and some with this condition are not diagnosed until much later than 3 months. These children are therefore treated differently and require a hip plaster cast with or without the need for an operation beforehand. If an operation is required, this means having a general anaesthetic and a short stay in hospital, in addition to the plaster cast. Doctors are not certain whether it is best to treat DDH straight away or to do it later (usually nearer 12 months of age). Some doctors think that by waiting for the hip to develop a little more before treatment we may avoid a possible complication called Avascular Necrosis (AVN). AVN is caused by damage to the blood supply to the ball of the thigh bone during treatment which can alter growth. Therefore, we plan to compare the two groups of children in this study (early treatment v intentionally delayed treatment) with the aim of finding out what is the best time to treat children with DDH.
REC name
North of Scotland Research Ethics Committee 1
REC reference
14/NS/0089
Date of REC Opinion
2 Jun 2014
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion