Hip Dysplasia in Teens and Young Adults

At the Andrews Institute, we are dedicated to providing your child with seamless, state-of-the art hip care in one convenient location. Our program is designed to help you and your child through every stage of dysplasia treatment, making your time with us as stress-free and effective as possible.

Also known as acetabular dysplasia, hip dysplasia is a condition that affects your child’s hip joint from developing normally. Abnormal development can cause pain, discomfort and damage to the joint’s bones, cartilage, ligaments and tendons.

Hip dysplasia can be a continuation of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH), which is often detected in infants and toddlers. In some cases, the condition goes undiagnosed until adolescence or early adulthood.

Mild cases of hip dysplasia may only require activity modification or rehab with our in-house physical therapists. But if surgery is needed, our highly skilled pediatric surgeons specialize in advanced techniques to reshape and realign the hip joint, providing great outcomes even in complex cases.

Early treatment of hip dysplasia offers teens and young adults the chance to avoid complicated surgery, such as a total hip replacement. We are here to provide the least invasive, most effective treatment options for your child.

Our orthopaedic physicians also have expertise treating related hip conditions such as:

• Acetabular labral (hip) tear
• Hip impingement
• Slipped capital femoral epiphysis

What are the signs and symptoms of Hip Dysplasia in Teens and Young Adults?

Common hip dysplasia symptoms include:

• Hip pain, either deep in the groin or on the backside of the hip — especially with activity
• “Clicking” or “popping” sounds when moving the hip
• Difficulty walking
• Limping

How is Hip Dysplasia in Teens and Young Adults diagnosed?

At the Andrews Institute, we are the one-stop destination for the full range of pediatric hip conditions such as hip dysplasia. Our highly trained specialists offer care that starts at diagnosis and continues through treatment and beyond.

Our diagnostic tools include:

• Physical exam: Looks at your child’s affected hip, checking for pain, discomfort, limited range of motion and weakness
• X-ray: Uses invisible electromagnetic energy beams to take detailed images of the hipbone and thighbone
• CT (computed tomography) scan: Uses X-rays to make detailed images of the hip joint
• MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan: Uses magnetic fields and radio waves to take detailed pictures of the hip

What are the causes of Hip Dysplasia in Teens and Young Adults?

In a healthy hip joint — also known as a “ball-and-socket” joint — the thighbone’s head (the ball) fits and moves easily in the pelvis’ cup (the socket).

If your child has hip dysplasia, the hip joint is abnormally shaped, causing the head of the thighbone to slip out of its proper place in the hip socket.

Possible causes and risk factors of hip dysplasia include:

• Position of the fetus in the womb
• Breech births
• Family history of dysplasia
• Gender: the condition is more common in females than males