[Long-term clinical assessment of the hip joint after conservative treatment for development dislocation complicated...

Clinical assessment of 61 hips in 36 adult patients treated in the past nonoperatively due to developmental dislocation of hip and affected with avascular necrosis of the proximal femur has been used as a base to present the fate of these joints. An attempt to relate the of avascular necrosis and clinical symptoms at the termination of growth has been made; clinical and radiographic examinations were compared with each other. At the final evaluation 30 excellent results were found, 20 good, 8 fair, and 3 cases were rated as poor. Clinical symptoms (pain, limp, extremity shortening, Trendelenburg and Duchenne signs) were present chiefly in cases of the most severe avascular necrosis of the femoral head and neck; in majority of patients clinical symptoms were present. Clinical outcome was usually more satisfactory than radiological one. Severity of avascular necrosis and deformity that followed clearly determined final clinical outcome.