A new stress test for the diagnosis of hip dysplasia: a preliminary study on a manikin

Early detection of hip dysplasia remains elusive due to lack of a safe and objective diagnostic screening test. A new hip stress test sequence for improving the diagnosis of hip dysplasia is proposed: firstly the Barlow manoeuvre is performed,followed by an instru- mented hip stiffness test and lastly the Ortolani test. Both the Barlow and the Ortolani tests consist of manual manipulative exami- nations which produce characteristic vibration in abnormal hips. The clinical examiner detects this vibration usingJinger-tip sensation. T o verifv this three-phase technique, the test was performed on a commercially available patient simulator. Theforce applied to the hip
joint was measured using aforce plate, and the hip laxity measured with an instrumented linkage. Signijicant differences in hip stifness werefound between dislocated and reduced hips. Further clinical testing will allow the theory to befinally verified and the technique to be refined