Early Cure For Hip Dislocation

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30480, 30 June 1964, Page 14

Early Cure For Hip Dislocation

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND, June 29.

A full-scale effort should be made to eradicate cases of congenital dislocation of the hip in infants, said Mr W. A. J. Pike, a senior visiting orthopaedic surgeon at Middlemore Hospital, in a report to the Auckland Hospital Board tonight.

Reporting on a five months study trip overseas last year, Mr Pike said a simple test to determine a clicking in a new-born infant’s hip could be made with the routine examination of the baby. The test would determine whether the child had a congenital dislocation of the hip and if so what treatment could be given immediately which completely cured the condition. It was estimated 90 new cases of congenital dislocation occurred among babies in New Zealand annually. Most were diagnosed and came for treatment too late after the child was standing. The results of late treatment were poor and required long

months in plaster casts and operations at a late age.

Mr Pike said a conservative estimate of the cost of later treatment was £lOOO with all the pain, suffering and crippling to be taken into account.

The cost of treating an infant soon after birth would be about £lO and the result would be a normal hip, no pain and no crippling. Mr Pike suggested that an intensive educational course on the test should be started for doctors and obstetricians. Any baby with "n unstable hip should be referred as an urgent case to an orthopaedic surgeon so that treatment could be started in the first week of life.