The early radiological effects of Dega and Pemberton osteotomies on hip development in children aged 4-8 years with developmental dysplasia of the hip.

We aimed to investigate the early radiological effects of Dega and Pemberton iliac osteotomies that were performed in patients aged 4-8 years with developmental dysplasia of the hip on development of hip joint. Dega osteotomy or Pemberton osteotomy was performed in 76 hips of 58 patients because of developmental dysplasia of the hip between September 2011 and June 2015 and were evaluated retrospectively. Of a total of 76 hips, Pemberton osteotomy was performed on 39 (19 unilateral) and Dega osteotomy was performed on 37 (21 unilateral). In all hips, the acetabular index, acetabular depth ratio, centre-edge angle of Wiberg, and Reimer's index values were recorded preoperatively and at the final follow-up. We measured the surface areas of the femoral head ossific nucleus in patients with unilateral dysplastic hips and compared results before both osteotomy procedures and at the final follow-up. There were no statistically significant differences between the groups in terms of the acetabular index and acetabular depth ratio values (P>0.05) preoperatively and at the final follow-up, but the mean centre-edge angle of Wiberg and Reimer's index values showed significant statistical differences in favor of the Dega procedure (P<0.05). There was a statistically significant difference in favor of the Pemberton procedure when the mean ratio of the surface area of the femoral head ossific nucleus on the dysplastic side in relation to the normal side was compared preoperatively (P=0.042) and at the final follow-up (P=0.027) in unilateral hips. Although Dega and Pemberton osteotomies produce satisfactory radiological outcomes at early stages in children aged 4-8 years with developmental dysplasia of the hip, a higher rate in the surface area of the femoral head ossific nucleus was observed in the Pemberton osteotomy group, which also had a lower mean age than the Dega osteotomy group.