[Hazards of ultrasonography of the hip]

We studied the value of ultrasound examination combined with conventional clinical evaluation in screening for congenital defects of the hip in a study including more than 3,000 neonates. We used two kinds of ultrasound methods, i.e. the morphological method, that is highly standardized and seeks to identify several well-defined anatomic landmarks (Graf's technique), and the dynamic method, that uses transverse flexion, frontal flexion or medial sections to determine the degree of stability of the hip. We describe these sections in detail so that pediatricians may correctly appreciate the images obtained. The respective indications of each section depend on the findings made as the investigation advances. Rigorous adherence to precise rules is now possible and is the only means for ensuring that these techniques will be used rationally in a way that can be expected to significantly reduce the still considerable number of dislocations and dysplasias of the hip discovered beyond three months of age.