Does hip deformity in babies lead to hip osteoarthritis in later life?
New research aims to shed light on whether a common hip deformity in newborn babies can play a part in the development of osteoarthritis of the hip in later life. A team of researchers at the University College London Institute of Child Health at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children have been awarded a three-year £185,000 grant from the Arthritis Research Campaign to examine the effects of hip dysplasia in babies on the onset of osteoarthritis of the hip, which affects one in ten people over the age of 65. Hip dysplasia is the most common musculoskeletal disorder in infancy, and occurs when a baby is born with a shallow or deformed hip socket, enabling the ball of hip to slip out, often resulting in the need for a plaster cast. “Heritability, congenital hip dysplasia and childhood growth may all play a role in the development of osteoarthritis of the hip, but the contribution of hip dysplasia remains unclear as this diagnosis is difficult to ascertain on x-ray when there is additi
