Fate of acetabular dysplasia after closed and open reduction of hips in children with developmental hip dislocation

Acetabular underdevelopment (acetabular dysplasia) is a common finding in children with hip dislocation, and residual acetabular dysplasia can remain after hip reduction. Residual dysplasia leads to unsatisfactory long-term outcomes and osteoarthritis. Dynamics of acetabular dysplasia [measured as Acetabular Index (AI)] in a pediatric cohort that underwent open (OR) or closed reduction are reported. Retrospective data from six tertiary pediatric orthopedic centers were gathered. Hips were classified as having 'Critical', 'Monitoring', or 'Normal' acetabular dysplasia based on age-adjusted normative AI measurements. From 193 hips, 108 (56%) underwent open reduction. Children younger than 24 months had a strong AI decline but children > 24 months did not. Among 78 hips with critical dysplasia at time of OR, 36 (46.2%) remained critical and 19 (24.4%) underwent an acetabular osteotomy (AO) during follow-up. CR hips had a similar AI decline in patients younger and older than 12 months. Among 51 hips with critical dysplasia at the time of CR, 13 (25.5%) remained critical and 21 (41.2%) underwent AO during follow-up. Acetabular dysplasia improves with AI decreasing in children who undergo OR and CR under the age of 2 years with slower acetabular remodeling afterwards. Around 2/3 of patients with AI in the critical range at CR or OR either underwent AO or had significant acetabular dysplasia at final follow-up. Our data supports considering simultaneous AO at the time of OR for hips with AI in the critical range or children who undergo hip open reduction after 24 months of age.