In search of Ortolani: the man and the method

Dr Marino Ortolani was an Italian pediatrician who developed a test for hip instability in the infant (1936) and then promoted early diagnosis of this condition to the medical community. He studied the pathoanatomy of hip instability in the 1940s. He wrote his textbook in 1948 and in 1952 he produced a movie about the examination and treatment of hip dysplasia which was translated into many languages to promote early diagnosis and treatment of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). In his career, he wrote a monograph and 31 articles on the subject of hip dysplasia and besides his classic test he developed various braces to treat the infants with hip instability. A remarkable achievement for this early clinician-scientist.