The impact of teardrop sign on DDH prognosis

Abstract

Introduction: DDH is a common developmental dysplasia in children. The acetabular teardrop sign is an important tool and has not become established due to the relative subjectivity. Objectives:To study the shape of acetabular teardrop sign and its changes after reduction at initial diagnosis, 6 months, one, and 2 years after reduction, its width, shape, and types of the teardrop, the thickness of the acetabular floor, and the center edge angle measured of dislocated and contralateral normal hips. The teardrops figures were classified into 4 distinct groups: absent, v-shaped, u shaped, and inverted or crossed shape. Methods: a retrospective cohort study of one sixty-four patients involved in the study which took place in King Salman military hospital, Tabuk, 90.4% of them are girls and 9.6% are boys. Results: there is a statistically significant impact of superior width, acetabular thickness of teardrop sign after reduction at 6,12,18,24 months, there is a statistically significant impact of inferior width only at 2 years, and there are no significant changes of the shape of teardrop sign after reduction.