Is the Femoral Head Holding Its Breath After DDH Reduction?

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If you’ve ever reduced an infantile DDH (developmental dysplasia of the hip), tucked the hip into a spica, and then stared at the fluoroscopy thinking, “Looks great…but what’s the femoral head actually feeling right now?” — this paper is for you.

Pediatric orthopedic surgeons have long suspected that vascular insult during reduction and casting is the osteonecrosis villain, but until recently, checking femoral head perfusion in real time has been more wishful thinking than reality.