Children with spina bifida develop a wide variety of congenital and acquired hip joint deformities. Among these are contractures, subluxation or dislocation. This paper will review both the overall orthopedic care of a spina bifida patient with hip problems and provide a focused review of surgery management of hip deformities. Special emphasis is placed on the indications and contraindications ...

In recent years early diagnosis of congenital dislocation of the hip has enabled treatment to be started within a few days of birth (Von Rosen 1962, Barlow 1962). Simply splinting the hips in abduction for the first three months oflife is then almost always successful. It is inevitable that many hips which appear to be unstable at birth, but which would not develop congenital dislocation even i...