Acetabular development in the congenital dysplasia and dislocation of the hip was discussed by measurement of the acetabular angle, which were treated at Nagasaki University Hospital during the period from 1964 to 1968.
Conclusions were as follow.
1. In the cases of dysplasia and dislocation treated by Pavlik method (97 cases, 103 hips) acetabular development was good, if the treatments were begun within 5 monthes after birth.
2. In the cases of dislocation treated by plaster cast fixation (56 cases, 63 hips), degree of improvemet of the acetabular angle was not satisfactory in 82%. In these unsatisfactory cases, inverted limbus were found in 92% by arthrogram of the hip, but when manual reductions were done, these limbus have been pressed against acetabular roof by femoral head.
3. In the cases which were surgically reduced with limbectomy, none of all cases had good acetabular development.
4. It is thought that factors influencing the acetabular development are age of initital treatment, concentricity of the femoral head and shape of the limbus.
