Acetabular skeletal assessment in developmental dysplasia of the hip: A study on transversal plane

The purpose of this study was to assess the skeletal development and orientation of the acetabulum in patients with developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). We performed computed tomography (CT) on 27 patients with monolateral DDH. The average age of patients, all baby girls, was 10.2 months (range, 6-18 months). All hips were dislocatable or dislocated. In each case, the skeletal development of the dysplastic acetabulum was altered. We distinguished two principal types of skeletal development of the dysplastic acetabulum: type I (spherical) and type II (elliptic or ovoid). The true acetabular anteversion was revealed. The CT study on the transversal plane assessed the skeletal development and orientation of the acetabulum. This global assessment and, in particular, the presence and value of true acetabular anteversion represent the basic study before indicating an innominate osteotomy.