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Our baby boy was born with hip dysplasia in both hips. We used the Pavlik harness faithfully and it worked for one hip. The other hip is still dislocated. What happens next?

Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH)? is a condition in which there is a disruption in the normal relationship between the head of the femur (thigh bone) and the acetabulum (hip socket). The socket is shallow and the femoral head doesn't stay in the socket. DDH can affect one or both hips. It can be mild to severe. In mild cases called unstable hip dysplasia, the hip is in the joint but easily dislocated. More involved cases are partially dislocated or completely dislocated. A partial dislocation is called subluxation. For 50 years, children born with developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) have been treated successfully with the Pavlik harness. But occasionally for any number of reasons, the treatment works for one side, but not the other. It's possible that applying traction to the leg will help reposition the hip. This type of treatment is called closed reduction. The use of traction may require hospitalization as it takes several weeks to draw the hip down and into the socket. If that doesn't work, then surgery may be needed. Young children have incredible powers of healing. Because the skeleton is still forming, many of the changes created at surgery will remodel dramatically and create a hip socket that will serve the child well into adulthood with minimal problems. The first step is to go back to the orthopedic surgeon who has been following you. See what he or she would recommend based on your child's individual characteristics. Find out what all the treatment options are before making a final decision about what to do next.

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