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Shallow Hip Socket in Adults (Developmental Hip Dysplasia)
Adult hip dysplasia (developmental dysplasia of the hip, DDH) is a condition where your hip socket is too shallow to properly cover the ball of your hip joint, often undiagnosed in childhood but causing groin pain, hip instability, and labral tears in young adults (typically 20s-40s), particularly active women. The shallow socket causes abnormal hip mechanics and early wear of cartilage. Young patients with mild-moderate dysplasia and minimal arthritis may benefit from joint-preserving surgery (periacetabular osteotomy, PAO) which reorients the socket to better cover the ball—delaying or preventing hip replacement for 10-20+ years in 70-80% of well-selected patients. Advanced dysplasia with established arthritis requires total hip replacement, often at younger age than typical (30s-50s), with special technical considerations.
📖What is Shallow Hip Socket in Adults (Developmental Hip Dysplasia)?
Adult hip dysplasia (developmental dysplasia of the hip, DDH) is a condition where your hip socket is too shallow to properly cover the ball of your hip joint, often undiagnosed in childhood but causing groin pain, hip instability, and labral tears in young adults (typically 20s-40s), particularly active women. The shallow socket causes abnormal hip mechanics and early wear of cartilage. Young patients with mild-moderate dysplasia and minimal arthritis may benefit from joint-preserving surgery (periacetabular osteotomy, PAO) which reorients the socket to better cover the ball—delaying or preventing hip replacement for 10-20+ years in 70-80% of well-selected patients. Advanced dysplasia with established arthritis requires total hip replacement, often at younger age than typical (30s-50s), with special technical considerations.
🔬What Causes It?
- Developmental abnormality of hip socket formation in infancy/childhood (exact cause often unknown)
- Missed or inadequately treated dysplasia in infancy
- Genetic factors (runs in families, especially females)
- Breech presentation at birth (mild increased risk)
- Firstborn children (mild increased risk due to uterine constraint)
⚠️Risk Factors
You may be at higher risk if:
- Female gender (5-10 times more common than males)
- Family history of hip dysplasia or early hip replacement
- White European ancestry (higher incidence)
- Previous diagnosis of 'clicky hips' as infant
- Activities requiring extreme hip flexibility (dance, gymnastics, martial arts)
🛡️Prevention
- ✓Early infant screening for hip dysplasia (click test, ultrasound if high risk)
- ✓Prompt treatment of infant dysplasia (Pavlik harness, bracing)
- ✓Genetic counseling if strong family history
- ✓Awareness of symptoms in young adults with childhood hip problems