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Diagnosis of developmental dislocation of the hip by sonospectrography
M I Safa Kapicioglu1, Feza Korkusuz
1Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology, Faculty of Medicine, Selcuk University, Meram, 42080, Konya, Turkey. safa.kapicioglu@gmail.com
Insights
A new sonospectrography system shows promise for diagnosing developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) in children. This noninvasive method detected differences in sound transmission between normal and dysplastic hips, suggesting its potential for early DDH detection.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Orthopedics
- Diagnostic Imaging
Background:
- Early diagnosis of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is crucial, especially when expert screening is unavailable.
- Primary healthcare professionals need accessible tools for timely DDH detection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate a broadband electroacoustic sound transmission-detection (sonospectrography) system for diagnosing unilateral DDH.
- To assess the system's utility in differentiating between normal and dysplastic hips.
Main Methods:
- A sonospectrography system was developed, utilizing sound transmission and recording through tissues.
- 22 patients with unilateral DDH (age range: 0.3-14 years) were studied.
- Hips were examined in four different positions, with the contralateral normal hip serving as a control.
Main Results:
- The sonospectrography system successfully detected unilateral DDH.
- Dysplastic hips consistently showed lower sound transmission values compared to normal hips across all positions.
- Sound transmission values decreased with increasing age and varied by hip position.
Conclusions:
- The sonospectrography system presents a potential new noninvasive method for diagnosing unilateral DDH.
- Further research is needed to determine the system's sensitivity and specificity, particularly for detecting DDH without subluxation in newborns.
Unlabelled:
Because not all infants can be screened for DDH by experts, early diagnosis of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) by primary health care professionals is important. We developed a broadband electroacoustic sound transmission-detection (sonospectrography) system and explored its utility in 22 patients (average age, 5.9 years; range, 0.3-14 years) with unilateral DDH in this preliminary study. Distinct from ultrasonography, the sonospectrography system functions by sound transmission and recording through tissues to differentiate between normal and abnormal hips. All hips were examined at four different hip and knee positions. The normal hip served as the control. The sonospectrography system was able to detect unilateral DDH. Dysplastic hips had lower sound transmission values when compared to normal hips in all patients and all four positions; however, the highest (X = 88.8 +/- 30.2 Hz) and lowest (X = 8.3 +/- 5.4 Hz) sound transmission mean values were obtained at different positions in the normal hips and those with DDH. Sound transmission values of dysplastic hips were always lower than that of normal hips when the hip and knee was flexed during measurements. Sound transmission values decreased with age. The sonospectrography system may offer a new noninvasive method in the diagnosis of unilateral DDH but requires further study of sensitivity and specificity of detecting dysplastic hips without subluxation in newborn infants.
Level Of Evidence:
Level IV, case series. See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
