[Results of treatment of old congenital hip dislocations after the start of walking].

Between 1980 und 1986 32 patients with 42 longstanding congenitally dislocated hips were treated by operation. Age at surgery ranged from 13 months to 18 years (mean 4.5 years) with a follow up of 6.7 years. Surgery was done by open reduction mostly combined with innominate and femoral shortening osteotomy. Not in all cases this was done as a one stage procedure. Results were excellent in 20 hips, good in 11, and poor in 11 hips. Quality of results decreased with age at surgery. The best results could be achieved with the one stage combined operations (open reduction, capsuloraphy, femoral shortening osteotomy, iliac osteotomy). The rate of avascular necrosis of the femoral head was 7.14%. The poor results mostly depended on the operating technique and the indication of surgery in cases with no or with extremly flat acetabulum.