Late diagnosis of hip dislocation in infants

To determine the rate of late diagnosis of hip dislocations in infants, 26,455 newborns were examined by or under the supervision of the authors from 1976 to 1988. The incidence of examinations positive for dislocated or dislocatable hips was 3.8/1,000. The incidence of known late cases was 4/26,455 (0.2/1,000). Because follow-up of all initial examinations was not possible, this rate is probably artificially low. Hip screening programs with direct pediatric orthopaedic supervision can be successful, but late cases will still occur.