Diagnosis and treatment of developmental dysplasia of the hip in the Netherlands: national questionnaire of paediatric orthopaedic surgeons on current practice in children less than 1 year old

PURPOSE: There is no consensus in the literature regarding the diagnosis and treatment of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). We designed a national questionnaire to assess the various opinions and current practice of paediatric orthopaedic surgeons in the Netherlands regarding the diagnosis and treatment of DDH in children less than 1 year old. METHODS: The questionnaire was sent to all members of the Dutch Paediatric Orthopaedic Society (DPOS). It discusses different methods and criteria used in the diagnosis of DDH, the use of different therapies and the use of different imaging techniques to evaluate the result of treatment. RESULTS: With 38 responders, the overall response rate to the survey was 67%. Most surgeons use clinical, radiographic and/or ultrasound examination for the diagnosis. The starting point of treatment is usually on the mild part of the DDH spectrum. The Pavlik harness is most popular in the treatment of dislocated hips, whereas in dysplastic hips, most surgeons use a rigid splint. The duration of treatment has a wide range and evaluation of the effect of treatment is predominantly done by radiography. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnosis and treatment of DDH in the Netherlands has as much diversity as the literature has recommendations about this subject. The lack of consensus on many aspects of DDH diagnosis and treatment should form the basis for a discussion among Dutch paediatric orthopaedic surgeons. Using the available evidence, it should be possible to formulate a more uniform protocol for the diagnosis and treatment of DDH.