Assessment of quality of life in children after successful treatment of hip dysplasia as compared with normal controls

OBJECTIVE: To document the quality of life of children who have been treated for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) within the first 3 years of life successfully after a minimum follow-up period of 2 years, and compare their results with healthy age-matched children.

METHODS: Thirty patients with DDH treated between 1998 and 2002 in Ankara Numune Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey and 19 age-matched healthy controls were included in this study with the approval of the ethical committee. The mean follow up period was 56.1 months. Each child's parents answered the Child Health Questionnaire-Parent Form 50 (CHQ-PF50) after giving informed consent. The answers were evaluated, and scores were calculated and results were analyzed.

RESULTS: There were no significant differences in 14 health-related quality of life concepts, according to the CHQ instrument's outcomes, between the healthy controls and the patients with DDH who were successfully treated within the first 3 years of life. Only the physical functioning concept was found to be lower for the DDH patients (Mann Whitney U test, p=0.036).

CONCLUSION: Although children who were successfully treated for DDH may have impairment in physical functioning after a certain period of follow-up, there was no significant impairment in physical and psychosocial summary scores, in comparison with their age-matched controls.