Patient factors associated with delayed diagnosis of developmental dysplasia of the hip

PURPOSE Early detection and intervention for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is important for normal hip development. Previous studies have shown disparities in access to paediatric specialty care among different racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. This study aims to identify whether these factors are related to timely referral for infants with DDH. METHODS A retrospective cohort study of patients seen and treated for DDH between July 2006 and June 2011 at a single institution were reviewed. The patients were divided into early-presenting (seen before six months of age) and late-presenting patients (seen at six months of age or later). RESULTS A total of 457 patients met the eligibility criteria. There were 378 early and 79 late presentations. Late presentations were significantly more likely to be vertex at birth (85% vs 41%, p < 0.001). Bivariate analysis also demonstrated that late presentations were more likely to be non-white (65% vs 45%, p = 0.004), non-English speaking (20% vs 8%, p = 0.003), from lower income areas ($70 769 vs $61 591, p < 0.001) and hold public insurance (25%, p = 0.001). However, a logistic multiple regression analysis showed that only vertex birth presentation (p = 0.000), absent family history of DDH (p = 0.047) and affected right side (p = 0.001) were significantly associated with late presentation. CONCLUSION Despite screening algorithms to facilitate early diagnosis of infants with DDH, better research is needed to understand how different demographic and socioeconomic factors play into the delayed access to paediatric orthopaedic care for DDH so that we may ultimately improve rates of early treatment.