Adolescent Hip Dysplasia

1. Introduction

The hip is known as a “ball-and-socket” joint. In a normal hip, the ball at the upper end of the femur (thigh bone) fits deeply into the socket, which is a curved portion of the pelvic bone known as the acetabulum. In an adolescent with hip dysplasia, the hip joint has not developed normally – the acetabulum is either too shallow or does not adequately cover and support the head of the femur ⁽¹⁾. This abnormality can cause a painful hip and the early development of osteoarthritis, a condition in which the articular cartilage in the joint thins and increased contact between the bony surfaces may result in pain and restricted movement ^{(1, 2)}.

Adolescent hip dysplasia usually occurs in those young people with a history of developmental dysplasia of the hip. This is a condition that occurs at birth or in early childhood. Although newborn babies and infants are routinely screened for problems with their hip joints, in some cases these remain undetected or are mild enough that they are left untreated. These patients may not show symptoms of hip dysplasia until reaching adolescence. This is where the term adolescent hip dysplasia is most appropriately used.

4. Risk Factors

This is not an exhaustive list. These factors could increase the likelihood of someone developing symptomatic adolescent hip dysplasia. It does not mean everyone with these risk factors will develop symptoms.

• Gender – females are three times more likely to have this condition than males.
• Breech pregnancy – babies that are born bottom first are more likely to then develop adolescent hip dysplasia.
• Genetics – having a sibling or family member with certain hip joint disorders may increase the risk of adolescent hip dysplasia.
• Race – adolescent hip dysplasia is more common in certain ethnic groups, such as native Americans and Sami ^(3,4).

8. Rehabilitation

Non-surgical (also known as conservative) treatment will be recommended if X-ray images show that the degree of dysplasia is mild, with minimal change or damage to the hip joint ⁽⁶⁾. Rehabilitation may focus on reducing or modifying activities that cause your pain, improving the strength and flexibility of muscles around the hip and pelvis, and monitoring your symptoms to determine whether there has been any progression ⁽²⁾.

Below are three rehabilitation programmes created by our specialist physiotherapists for adolescent hip dysplasia. In some instances, a one-to-one assessment is appropriate to individually tailor targeted rehabilitation. However, these programmes provide an excellent starting point as well as clearly highlighting exercise progression.

10. Return to Sport/Normal Life

For patients wanting to achieve a high level of function or return to sport, we would encourage a consultation with a physiotherapist as you will likely require further progression beyond the advanced rehabilitation stage.

As part of a comprehensive treatment approach, your musculoskeletal physiotherapist may also use a variety of other pain-relieving treatments to support symptom relief and recovery. Whilst recovering you might benefit from a further assessment to ensure you are making progress and establish the appropriate progression of treatment. Ongoing support and advice will allow you to self-manage and prevent future reoccurrence.

Book an Appointment

Please book an appointment with one of our physiotherapists if you think you are suffering from this condition and would like to find out more.

We have Pure Physiotherapy clinics across the country including Norwich, Ipswich, Manchester, Bolton, Wakefield and Sheffield. Please view our clinics to find the closest physiotherapy clinic for you.