ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — Hip dysplasia is a condition where a person’s hip socket doesn’t completely cover the ball of one of their thigh bones. It’s usually something you’re born with, but there are some steps you can take to protect your child from developing this condition or making it worse. Ivanhoe reports.
Healthy hips are essential for moving around. But one out of every 1,000 babies are born with hips that don’t develop properly – a condition known as hip dysplasia.
“The reason why it’s a concern or the reason why it’s a problem is it’s the one of the leading causes of hip arthritis,” explained Joel Williams, MD, a hip surgeon and orthopedic trauma with Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush in Chicago.
While all newborns in the U.S. are screened for the condition, it’s often overlooked.
Dr. Williams continued, “There’s a large number of people that are underdiagnosed or the diagnosis is delayed.”
Hip dysplasia runs in families and is more common in girls than in boys. It’s also more likely to affect a baby that’s breeched or large. Firstborns are more at risk for the condition. And more recent research has shown swaddling babies with their hips and knees straight can contribute to hip dysplasia. Experts recommend a loose swaddle that allows the baby’s legs to bend easily. Signs of hip dysplasia in children include walking with a limp or one leg that appears longer than the other. In teens and young adults, hip dysplasia can cause painful conditions such as a labral tear or dislocated joint. That’s why it’s important to get treatment early on.
“So, if it’s diagnosed and treated appropriately before arthritis starts a hip replacement can be avoided or postponed for years and years,” said Dr. Williams.
Keeping hips healthier, longer.
Treatments for hip dysplasia may involve braces to hold the joint in place and physical therapy to strengthen the joint and improve flexibility. Simple surgical procedures are sometimes performed to reposition the socket or repair injuries.
Contributors to this news report include: Julie Marks, Producer; and Roque Correa, Editor.
HIP DYSPLASIA RISK FACTORS
REPORT #2861
BACKGROUND: Hip dysplasia is a condition where the socket of the hip joint doesn’t fully support the ball of the joint. This can create a gradual misalignment or dislocation of the hip. This misalignment or dislocation wears down cartilage and can lead to early-onset osteoarthritis of the hip. Some symptoms of hip dysplasia include pain in the groin and/or on the side or back of the hip joint and can be distinguished from “growing pains,” which are most common in kids under 10. Growing pains in the legs, knees and hips are usually felt at bedtime after the child has been active during the day, but then go away by the next morning. Whereas with hip dysplasia, the pain will remain constant or increase over time. A child or young adult with hip dysplasia may also hear a clicking, snapping or popping sound when moving the hip during activity, and may develop a limp to avoid the pain.
(Source: https://www.hss.edu/condition-list_hip-dysplasia.asp)
HIP DYSPLASIA EXERCISES TO TRY AND TO AVOID: To minimize hip dysplasia symptoms, there are some exercises that may aid in restoring range of motion. Hip abduction exercises involve lifting the leg away from the body and strengthens the muscles that act on the hip to provide greater stability and strength. Lying hip stretch involves lying on your back with your legs extended. You gently pull your knee toward your torso, wrapping your arms around your knee for support, and try to keep the opposite leg as straight as possible. Side leg lifts involve rotating the leg and lifting it to work the inner hip muscles. You will turn your toes out, so that your feet are facing away from each other. Then, slowly lift one leg upward, bending at the knee. Do not lift the leg higher than hip height. Some exercises and sports to stay clear of are running and impact sports such as football. Other exercises, such as rowing, tennis or riding a bicycle, also should be performed in moderation because they place some degree of strain on the hip joints.
(Source: https://www.livestrong.com/article/356355-exercises-for-human-hip-dysplasia/)
NEW STUDY ON CANINE HIP DYSPLASIA: Hip dysplasia is a common developmental disorder in many dog breeds, and its onset is affected by both hereditary and environmental factors. Past studies have identified dozens of genetic loci associated with hip dysplasia in various breeds, but the relevance of the loci to disease susceptibility remains an open question. The previously identified loci were reinvestigated at the University of Helsinki, Finland, using a large independent cohort of 1,600 dogs representing ten breeds. The individual genetic variants at the target loci were determined from blood samples. The standardized radiographic hip phenotypes as assessed by expert veterinarians were obtained from the Finnish Kennel Club. “Key to the study was the opportunity to utilize the world’s largest canine DNA bank maintained by Professor Hannes Lohi’s research group. We validated the disease association of 21 loci from 14 chromosomes,” says Professor Antti Iivanainen from Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki. In the future, researchers want to pay closer attention to the loci now identified as relevant to uncover the actual genes underlying hip dysplasia and their variants.
(Source: https://phys.org/news/2021-02-gene-loci-canine-hip-dysplasia.html)
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