Closed reduction by two-phase skin traction and functional splinting in mitigated abduction for treatment of congenital dislocation of the hip.

A method of a two-phase closed reduction using longitudinal skin traction followed by abduction was employed by the authors for treatment of children with congenital dislocation of the hip (CDH). Longitudinal traction was used for two to four weeks, depending on the child's age and the degree of dislocation. Traction in abduction required two weeks. Splinting after reduction was used with an intermediate abduction device, which allowed immediate hip function and motion without the risk of redislocation. The results of 1178 treated hips, with follow-up examinations in 809 cases, demonstrate the efficacy of this method even for completely dislocated hips. The procedure is nonaggressive, results in a low incidence of femoral head osteonecrosis (3.4%), and is suitable for children with CDH aged six weeks to about 2.5 years.