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Morphometric assessment of the hip joint in children aged 2-13 years
Vildan Önal1,2, Ayfer Metin Tellioğlu1, Yasemin Durum Polat3
1Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Adnan Menderes University, Aydın, Turkey.
Insights
This study established normal morphometric values for healthy children's hip joints, providing crucial data for diagnosing conditions like developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) and Legg-Calve-Perthes disease.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Orthopedics
- Radiology
- Human Anatomy
Background:
- Establishing normative morphometric data for pediatric hip joints is essential for accurate diagnosis and treatment.
- Previous studies may lack comprehensive data across a wide pediatric age range.
- Understanding age and sex-related variations in hip joint parameters is critical.
Purpose of the Study:
- To morphometrically evaluate hip joints in healthy children aged 2-13 years using radiographic images.
- To establish normative radiographic values for key hip joint parameters in a pediatric cohort.
- To identify age- and sex-dependent variations in these parameters.
Main Methods:
- Radiographic analysis of 600 hip joints from 300 healthy children (aged 2-13 years).
- Digital measurement of parameters including Acetabular Index, ACM angle, MZ distance, Sharp angle, CE angle, Femoral Head Coverage Ratio, Cranial Joint Space (CJS), and Medial Joint Space (MJS).
- Statistical analysis to determine age and sex differences, with significance set at p < 0.05 or p < 0.01.
Main Results:
- Acetabular Index, ACM angle, MZ distance, Sharp angle, CJS, and MJS generally decreased with age, while Acetabular Depth and CE angle increased.
- Significant sex differences were observed, with girls generally exhibiting higher values for Acetabular Index, ACM angle, Sharp angle, MZ distance, Femoral Head Coverage Ratio, CE angle, and MJS.
- Specific age and sex interactions were noted for CE angle and CJS, indicating complex developmental patterns.
Conclusions:
- This study provides comprehensive normative morphometric data for pediatric hip joints, essential for clinical reference.
- The findings highlight significant age- and sex-related variations in hip joint parameters, crucial for interpreting radiographic findings.
- These established values will aid in the diagnosis and management of pediatric hip conditions such as developmental dysplasia of the hip and Legg-Calve-Perthes disease, and for comparisons in conditions like Cerebral Palsy.
Abstract:
Our study aimed to evaluate the hip joints of healthy children aged 2-13 years morphometrically through radiographic images. Demographic characteristics of 300 healthy children in our study include an average age of 6.4 years old based on the 2-to-13-year-old bracket and sex classified to 133 girls and 167 boys. A total of 600 normal hips from these children were digitally measured based on Acetabular Index, ACM angle, MZ distance, Sharp angle, CE angle, Femoral Head Coverage Ratio, Cranial, and medial joint space (MJS). *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01 indicated a statistically significant difference. It was found that Acetabular Index, ACM angle, MZ distance, Sharp angle, Cranial, and MJSs decreased with age; Acetabular Depth value and CE angle increased with age; the CE angle differed between the sides (right-left) in the young teens period and in boys; and the cranial joint space (CJS) differed between the sides in girls. In addition, girls had higher values than boys in terms of Acetabular Index, ACM angle, Sharp angle, MZ distance, and Femoral Head Coverage Ratio; CE angle and MJS were higher in girls; and Acetabular Depth Value and CJS did not differ significantly between sexes. Obtaining the normal values will guide in the diagnosis and treatment of many clinical conditions including DDH and Legg-Calve-Perthes disease. It can also be used to compare the hips between healthy children and those diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy.
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