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Femoral Head Coverage Assessment in Healthy Children Younger than 6 Years
Suvorov Vasyl1, Filipchuk Viktor1, Zyablovskyi Evhen2
1Department of Joint Diseases in Children and Adolescents, SI, The Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics By Nams of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine.
Insights
This study analyzed femoral head coverage in healthy children under 6 years old. Findings reveal age- and sex-specific growth patterns in acetabular regions crucial for understanding hip development.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Orthopedics
- Developmental Biology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is a common pediatric hip condition.
- Accurate assessment of femoral head (FH) coverage by the acetabulum is vital for DDH treatment.
- Understanding normal FH coverage in healthy children is essential for early diagnosis and management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate normal femoral head (FH) coverage by the acetabulum in healthy children younger than 6 years.
- To establish reference values for FH coverage across different acetabular regions.
- To investigate age- and sex-related variations in FH coverage.
Main Methods:
- Utilized 270 hip joint CT scans to create digital pelvic models.
- Assessed FH coverage by five distinct acetabular regions.
- Analyzed coverage based on patient age and sex.
Main Results:
- Established normal reference values for FH coverage by various acetabular regions.
- Identified nonlinear growth patterns in acetabular regions with accelerated periods.
- Observed sex differences: boys showed greater superior-anterior FH coverage, while girls had more posterior coverage.
Conclusions:
- Acetabular region growth is nonlinear and exhibits distinct acceleration phases.
- Significant sex-based differences in FH coverage exist, impacting hip joint development.
- These findings provide crucial normative data for pediatric hip assessment and DDH evaluation.
Introduction:
Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is one of the commonest hip joint pathologies in children; to treat it properly, hip surgeons should know the normal femoral head (FH) coverage by the acetabulum. This paper aims to assess the femoral head coverage in healthy children younger than 6 years.
Methods:
270 hip joint CT scans were selected, and digital pelvic models were created according to these scans. FH coverage by the five acetabular regions was assessed according to patient's age and sex.
Results:
Normal reference values of FH coverage by different acetabular regions were obtained. It was found that the growth process of different acetabular regions occurs nonlinearly with the periods of acceleration. Anterior and superior-anterior acetabular regions grow more intensively in boys up to 3 years old and between 4 and 5 years old both in boys and girls; superior-posterior, posterior-superior, and posterior-inferior acetabular regions grow more intensively in boys and girls up to 3 years old and between 4 and 5 years old (p ≤ 0.005). The following sex differences in FH coverage by the acetabulum were found: more superior-anterior FH coverage was found in boys and posterior FH coverage in girls (p ≤ 0.005).
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