Treatment of congenital dislocation of the hip in the newborn infant.

Forty newborn infants with sixty-five congenital dislocations of the hip were followed from birth until the completion of treatment. Diagnosis was based on the finding of an Ortolani sign during the first days following birth. Treatment was initiated by means of a von Rosen splint, followed, if necessary, by an abduction pillow splint or plaster casts. The first roentgenogram was made at about the age of three months and the last at the age of one year. With three exceptions, all patients had normal hips by the age of one year. The exception included one instance of osteochondritis and two instances of failure of reduction. Half of the patients needed prolonged treatment of more than six months' duration. Despite these difficulties, diagnosis of congenital dislocation of the hip in the newborn infant, followed by immediate treatment, is of definite value in the management of the condition.