Chiari's osteotomy of the pelvis: an evaluation of early results.

An early evaluation of the Chiari pelvic osteotomy done on 19 hips in 16 patients is presented. Indications were: (1) congenital hip dysplasia, where conservative or other surgical treatment had failed or where the patient's age contraindicted conservative treatment, and (2) hypoplastic hip joints associated with neuromuscular disorders. Results were classified according to pain, limp, Trendelenburg sign, range of motion, and radiographic appearance. Follow-up, averaging 16 months, revealed the relief of pain and an increase of hip motion in many cases. However, the limp and positive Trendelenburg sign frequently persisted. The overall success rate was 69%.