Ultrasound screening for congenital dislocation of the hip. Results and correlations between clinical and ultrasound findings.

The author reports the findings of clinical and ultrasound screening for congenital dislocation of the hip in 1000 consecutively examined newborns. This study found that medical history and clinical signs do not always guarantee diagnosis of congenital hip dislocation. The disease can in fact be present even in the absence of clinical signs, including the Ortolani click sign. Ultrasound is a safe and reliable diagnostic tool which should be used together with clinical examination in the screening of newborns for congenital dislocation of the hip.