Developmental Dysplasia

Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is a spectrum of disorders in which the acetabulum (socket) is too shallow, too vertical, or otherwise malformed — providing inadequate coverage of the femoral head. The hip is inherently less stable, the labrum and cartilage bear abnormal stress, and arthritis develops earlier than in a normally formed hip.

DDH ranges from subtle acetabular under-coverage identified in young adults to frank dislocation identified at birth. Many mild cases go undetected until a patient presents with hip pain, labral tears, or early arthritis in their 20s–40s. Women are more commonly affected than men.

Young adults with dysplasia often present with groin pain and labral tear symptoms. The lateral center-edge angle on weight-bearing AP pelvis X-ray is the key measurement — values below 25° indicate under-coverage. MRI evaluates the labrum and cartilage. CT provides three-dimensional assessment for surgical planning.

1. Intra-articular injection

   Diagnostic and therapeutic injection for labral-driven pain.

Surgery is indicated when symptoms are significant and the anatomy is correctable. The goal of joint-preserving surgery is to re-orient the socket to provide better femoral head coverage before irreversible cartilage damage occurs.

External patient-education references and related OSI pages for additional background:

• Britannica — Hip (anatomy)
• AAOS OrthoInfo — patient education library
• OSI glossary — orthopedic terminology in plain language