Barlow and Ortolani maneuvers are used to assess hip stability in which age group?

• A. Newborns and infants 3 months or younger
• B. Adults
• C. Children older than 5
• D. Adolescents

Answer: (A)

These maneuvers test for developmental dysplasia of the hip in newborns and very young infants, when the hip joint is still lax and cartilaginous. Because the ligaments and soft tissues are more pliable in the first weeks of life, a hip that is unstable can be felt or seen as dislocatable with a gentle posterior pressure (Barlow) or reducible with abduction and gentle lifting of the femoral head back into the socket (Ortolani). The effectiveness of these tests is highest in newborns up to about 3 months; after that, ossification and tightening of surrounding tissues reduce their reliability, and imaging—usually ultrasound—is used for screening. Therefore, these maneuvers are not used in adults, older children, or adolescents.