Ultrasonography technique in diagnosis of the knee dysplasia in children

Purpose. To determine the angle of femoral block opening in children of different age in order to reveal the hip dysplasia. Materials and Methods. The knee ultrasonography performed in 118 children at the age from three to ten years. The knee transverse scanning made in the position of flexion up to 120º. The femoral block preferentially studied as the most available and informative structure for joint dysplasiae. The angle of opening calculated according to an orthopedic pro-gram. Results. The angle of femoral block opening amounted to 150±0.4° in 38 six-year children, and it was 132±0.9º in 51 seven-ten-year children. The total number of examined children at the age of six years and those at the age of seven-ten years allowed us to consider the amounts of the angle of femoral block opening to be normal. In case the angle amount deviates from the data it should be consider the knee dysplasia in a child. Conclusion. Deviation of the opening angle from the norm, even in the absence of dysplasia clinical manifestations, should alert the physician to the possible development of patellar dislocation or chondropathy, or patellar chondropathy with the transition to femoropatellar osteoarthrosis. It’s desirable to determine the angle of femoral block opening by ultrasonoraphy in all children from the age of six years in order to reveal dysplastic changes in the knee.