Ultrasonography and developmental dysplasia of the infant hip.

Hip sonography has been developed, refined, and critiqued for over 18 years. It is now widely accepted as a highly sensitive and useful technique for both the diagnosis and management of developmental dysplasia of the infant hip. Controversy continues surrounding the issue of when and how often hip sonography should be performed. Currently, clinical screening of newborns is the standard of care in the United States, with sonography employed selectively based on clinical findings. Universal ultrasound screening has been used in some countries and is under consideration by many investigators, using a variety of algorithms. This review will focus on recent reports dealing with issues of screening for developmental dysplasia of the infant hip and also will highlight techniques suggested for use in the treatment of development dysplasia of the infant hip.