Total Hip Replacement in Congenital Hip Dislocation in 14 Years Female Patient.

INTRODUCTION: development dysplasia of the hip is one of the common disorders in pediatric orthopaedics. This requires an early orthopaedic treatment. Neglected cases can lead to hip dislocation, which has an incidence of 1.4 / mille new-borns, being bilateral in 70-80% of cases and prevalence of girls being 7 / 1-4 / 1 (girls / boys). Congenital hip dislocation requires a complex surgical and orthopaedic treatment. In most cases develop hip osteoarthritis in adulthood, requiring total hip replacement. In certain selected cases total hip replacement is required since the pediatric age.

METHODS: We present the case of a 14 year old patient who was admitted to our clinic for limping with leg-length discrepancy, pain in the right groin. The disease has an insidious onset at the start of the walking age. The treatment was denied until the age of 9, when was performed open reduction of the hip, shortening osteotomy of the femur, right hip adductor tenotomy muscles. Despite treatment the disease has an poor outcome, patient was presenting at age of 14 a shortening of the right leg 7 cm, with the greater trochanter elevated, positive Trendelenburg sign, limiting of daily activities, Harris score 48. We performed transkeletal traction for one month, after that performing total hip replacement. The postoperative evolution was excellent, the patient having no pain, with a 2 cm leg-length discrepancy, starting to walk at 3 month after surgery.

CONCLUSIONS: Although total hip replacement in congenital hip dislocation at pediatric age is an exceptional procedure, in some cases carefully selected it proves to be a viable alternative in the medium term.