Abstract

Abstract: Background: Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is a hip disorder that results in high pain, limited hip function, and lower quality of life. Adhering to the optimal clinical practices for diagnosing and treating children with DDH is crucial to ensure high-standard of care and minimizes the likelihood of late DDH diagnosis and complications. Several clinical practices are used across the world, but limited data are available regarding the current practice for DDH in Saudi Arabia. This study examined the current clinical practices used to screen and treat children with DDH in Saudi Arabia. Methods: An online survey was completed by healthcare providers directly managing DDH cases in Saudi Arabia. Collected data included demographic information, professional experience, and practices regarding screening, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up. Descriptive and frequency statistics characterized numerical and categorical data were computed. Results: Twenty-two healthcare providers participated in this study (average age=47 years; men=82%), with the majority of participants were working in the central region of Saudi Arabia (73%). The majority of our sample were orthopaedic surgeons (86%), work in tertiary healthcare settings (68%), and completed a specific DDH training programs (91%). Approximately 66% of participants reported having a standardized protocol at their institution screening and treating potential infants/newborns with DDH. Conservative treatment, primarily Pavlik harness, was the first-line treatment for DDH among children under 6 months of age (82%). A large proportion of the participants reported requesting follow-up visits within 1-2 months post first DDH treatment given (82%). Finally, orthopedic surgeons commonly measure and apply Pavlik harnesses for children diagnosed with DDH (86%), followed by physical therapists (9%). Conclusion: In Saudi Arabia, the current clinical practice of DDH screening and treatment used by healthcare providers aligns with the international DDH clinical guidelines in many aspects, specifically determining DDH risk factors and using imaging to aid the diagnosis process. Enhancing training and adherence to comprehensive screening protocols could improve the early detection and management of DDH in Saudi Arabia that would eventually lead to better patients’ outcomes and lower the rate of late DDH.