Log Into the Nemours AppNemours orthopedic experts help kids and teens with hip pain and hip problems. We have the highly specialized expertise to treat one-time injuries and chronic (ongoing) hip problems that develop over time, from common conditions to rare diseases. We also offer expert hip management for children (like those with cerebral palsy) who are at greater risk of developing hip problems. At Nemours, we also focus on treatments to prevent painful hip dislocations as kids grow.
Hip Problems
Expert Surgical and Nonsurgical Treatment
Conditions We Treat
We see kids for a wide range of hip injuries and conditions, including:
- developmental dysplasia of the hip (sometimes called “hip dysplasia” — problems with the way a baby's hip joint forms before, during or after birth, causing pain and/or trouble walking)
- femoroacetabular impingement (a condition where extra bone grows along one or both of the bones that form the hip joint, causing pain and limiting activity)
- labral tears (a tear in the labrum, the cartilage on the rim of the hip that provides cushion and stability to the joint)
- Perthes disease (a rare childhood condition, also known as “Legg-Calve-Perthes,” where the blood supply to part of the hip is temporarily disrupted and bone cells die off)
- slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) (a shift at the upper part of the thigh that weakens the hip joint)
Services We Offer
Nemours offers a complete range of medical, surgical and therapeutic care for hip problems, including:
- diagnosis, including radiology (medical imaging) such as specialized on-site X-rays, MRIs and ultrasounds
- customized care plans, including bracing, physical therapy and rehabilitation
- prevention of hip dislocations, with monitoring such as physical exams every 6 months and X-rays every year from 18 months to 12 years of age
- specialized orthopedic surgery including, whenever possible, arthroscopy (minimally invasive surgery with tiny scopes and instruments so that incisions and scars are smaller, and recovery is faster)
If kids need surgery, we improve or preserve hip function by reshaping the bones of the hip and thigh, and lengthening any related muscles, if necessary. Types of procedures include:
- hip reconstruction, for children with hip dislocations but no arthritis (swelling and pain in a joint)
- hip salvage, for those with hip dislocations and severe arthritis
- total hip replacement, for children no longer able to walk due to their hip problems, but who are expected to walk again
Why Choose Us
Families come to Nemours for our many decades of excellence in orthopedics and, specifically, for our expertise in pediatric hip problems. We back our skills and experience with a caring, personal approach — and dedication to making the lives of kids and teens better. We’re also actively involved in research to keep improving how we diagnose and treat pediatric hip disorders. And many of our doctors are recognized, year after year, among the "Best Doctors in America®."
Regional Hip Problem Highlights
Services, programs and care teams differ at each location. Call for details.
We offer complete hip disorder treatment at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children (Wilmington, Del.) and select satellite Nemours duPont Pediatrics locations.
- ranked among the top 10 children’s hospitals in the country for pediatric orthopedics, year after year, by U.S. News & World Report
- specialized hip disorder program providing state-of-the-art hip care for babies to young adults
- one of the top pediatric hip ultrasound programs in the world, using harmless sound waves to make images and help diagnose developmental dysplasia of the hip in babies
- hip arthroscopy (minimally invasive surgery with tiny scopes and instruments)
- complex hip preservation surgery, to help prevent further decreases in hip function
- active participant in the International Perthes Study group, evaluating treatment options and outcomes of children with Perthes disease
- fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeons and physical therapists experienced in hip problems
- pediatric outpatient therapy program that’s one of the only in the region accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF)
- on-site cast room, brace, orthotic and prosthetic shops
We offer complete hip disorder treatment at Nemours Children’s Hospital (Orlando) and select satellite Nemours Children’s Specialty Care locations.
- complex hip disorder clinic providing advanced diagnostics, surgical and nonsurgical treatment
- fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeons
- physical medicine and rehabilitation services, including physical and occupational therapies
- on-site state-of-the-art radiology (imaging) services
- on-site cast room, orthotic and prosthetic shops
We offer hip disorder treatment at Nemours Children’s Specialty Care, Jacksonville (working with Wolfson Children’s Hospital) and select satellite locations.
- fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeons
- state-of-the-art imaging
- on-site casting, orthotic and prosthetic shops
- close academic and clinical affiliations with the University of Florida College of Medicine–Jacksonville and Mayo Clinic Florida
We offer hip disorder treatment at Nemours Children’s Specialty Care, Pensacola and select satellite locations.
- fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeons
- express lab services
- imaging on-site
- casting, orthotic and prosthetic shops
Scheduled Specialist Online Visits
Nemours now offers scheduled specialist appointments through live video chat. Ask your doctor if this is an option for your family.
Research & Clinical Trials
At Nemours, we’re actively researching new approaches for childhood disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
KidsHealth Library
Learn more about your child’s medical condition from the experts at Nemours’ KidsHealth.