A Comparison of the Contact Force Distributions on the Acetabular Surface Due to Orthopedic Treatments for Developmental Hip Dysplasia

We used a three-dimensional rigid body spring model (RBSM) to compare the contact force distributions on the acetabular surface of the infant hip joint that are produced by three orthopedic treatments for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). We analyzed treatments using a Pavlik harness, a generic rigid splint, and a spica cast. The joint geometry was modeled from tomography images of a 1-year-old female. The articular cartilage was modeled as linear springs connecting the surfaces of the acetabulum and the femoral head, whereas the femur and the hip bone were considered as rigid bodies. The hip muscles were modeled as tensile-only preloaded springs. The treatments with the Pavlik harness and the generic rigid splint were modeled for an infant in supine position with a hip flexion angle of 90 deg. Also, since rigid splints are often recommended when children are initiating their gait phase, we modeled the treatment with the infant in standing position. For the spica cast, we only considered the infant in standing position with a flexion angle of 0 deg, and the fixation bar at two heights: at the ankle and at the knee. In order to analyze the effect of the hip abduction angle over the contact force distribution, different abduction angles were used for all the treatments modeled. We have found that the treatments with the infant in supine position, with a flexion angle of 90 deg and abduction angles between 60 deg and 80 deg, produce a more homogenous contact force distribution compared to those obtained for the treatments with the infant in standing position.