East Montgomery Times

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) has a specialized Hip Disorders Program dedicated to diagnosing and treating pediatric hip disorders, including complex cases of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). Dr. Wudbhav N. Sankar, a leading expert in pediatric hip disorders, leads this program and is also the Director of the Young Adult Hip Preservation Program at CHOP.

Dr. Sankar discussed various non-surgical bracing options available at CHOP for treating DDH in infants. "The Pavlik harness is the most widely used non-surgical treatment for infants with DDH in this country, but it doesn’t always work," he said. CHOP employs three primary alternate braces: the Ilfeld brace, Tubingen splint, and Rhino or “bucket” brace. These options are part of CHOP's approach to avoid surgery whenever possible.

CHOP offers ultrasound technology in clinics to fine-tune brace adjustments in real-time, enhancing their success rate with non-operative treatments. This method allows them to offer a wider range of devices than most centers.

Despite high success rates with bracing—over 75%—some patients require surgical intervention. "CHOP is the busiest program in the United States treating DDH," noted Dr. Sankar. He highlighted that hundreds of babies are referred each year from across the U.S., and while many are treated successfully without surgery, some require procedures such as placing the femoral head more deeply into the acetabulum or repairing hip socket angles.

The hospital's positive surgical outcomes are attributed to high surgical volumes and personalized support from dedicated staff like Meg Morro, BSN, RN, who assists families throughout their treatment journey.

CHOP's unique surgical offerings include spinal anesthesia for infants under six months undergoing DDH surgery and state-of-the-art perfusion MRI imaging post-surgery to ensure adequate blood flow to hips—a crucial factor in reducing complications like avascular necrosis.

Research efforts at CHOP involve collaboration with several multi-center research groups focused on understanding hip disorders better and optimizing outcomes for patients.

For further information or discussion on challenging cases or research interests related to hip disorders at CHOP, Dr. Sankar can be contacted via email at SankarW@chop.edu.