Barwon Health part of new research project to improve outcomes for children with hip dysplasia
Congratulations to Mr Richard Angliss MBBS, FRACS (Ortho), FAOrthoA, chief investigator in a $2.5 million Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) grant re
cently awarded to establish a state-wide hip dysplasia registry for children with the condition.
Mr Angliss (pictured) is a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at Barwon Health with 26 years’ experience specializing in paediatric orthopaedic conditions. He established the Barwon Health Hip Dysplasia screening service, Club Foot service and Physio led musculoskeletal services. His work has established Barwon Health as the largest provider of paediatric orthopaedic services in Regional Victoria.
About the project
Hip dysplasia is the most common childhood bone and joint birth defect, affecting about 1.5 per cent of infants and children in Australasia each year, including about 1500 in Victoria.
In babies with this condition, the hip joint does not develop normally, which results in abnormal hip development, instability or dislocation. This can cause substantial pain, disability and decreased quality of life.
Hip dysplasia is usually diagnosed in the first six months of life and either observed or treated with a brace. However, some children with the condition go undetected until late childhood or adolescence.
“Despite various programs, including universal ultrasound screening, the rate of late presentation has not been reduced suggesting there are undiscovered factors responsible for dysplasia in this group of patients,” Lead Investigator Associate Professor Leo Donnan, from the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, said.
“Our aim is to uncover the causes, refine the treatment, and improve the outcomes for children and young adults who suffer from this condition.”
Along with support from The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) Department of Orthopaedics, the grant will fund the establishment of a Victoria hip dysplasia clinical registry (VicHip); a registry of all Victorian children who present with hip dysplasia.
Barwon Health, along with the Royal Children’s Hospital, Monash Health and Western Health manage the majority of cases of hip dysplasia in Victoria and will collect data for VicHip from public and private facilities and rural health centres.
It is hoped that VicHip will help to provide clarity in the management of hip dysplasia, reduce unnecessary treatment, and help identify patients at risk.