THE DYSPLASTIC HIP: NOT FOR THE SHALLOW SURGEON

Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) represents a heterogeneous group of deformities that are commonly associated with secondary osteoarthritis. Affected hips may require total hip arthroplasty (THA) for endstage disease and these cases can present unique challenges for the reconstructive surgeon. While the severity of deformity varies greatly, optimizing THA can be challenging even in the “mildly” dysplastic hip. These disorders are commonly characterised by acetabular deficiency with inadequate coverage of the anterolateral femoral head and proximal femoral abnormalities including excessive femoral antetorsion, coxa valga and femoral stenosis. In more severe cases, major femoral head subluxation or dislocation can add additional complexity to the procedure. In addition to the primary deformities of DDH, secondary deformities from previous acetabular or proximal femoral osteotomies may also impact the primary THA. Primary THA in the DDH hip can be optimised by detailed understanding of the bony anato...