Turned head--adducted hip--truncal curvature syndrome

One hundred and eight neonates and infants who showed the clinical triad of a head turned to one side, adduction contracture of the hip joint on the occipital side of the turned head, and truncal curvature, which we named TAC syndrome, were studied. These cases included seven with congenital and five with late infantile dislocations of the hip joint and 14 who developed muscular torticollis. Forty one were among 7103 neonates examined by one of the authors. An epidemiological analysis confirmed the aetiology of the syndrome to be environmental. The side to which the head was turned and that of the adducted hip contracture showed a high correlation with the side of the maternal spine on which the fetus had been lying. TAC syndrome is an important asymmetrical deformity that should be kept in mind during neonatal examination, and may be aetiologically related to the unilateral dislocation of the hip joint, torticollis, and infantile scoliosis which develop after a vertex presentation.