Which statement correctly describes the difference between Ortolani and Barlow maneuvers?

Which statement correctly describes the difference between Ortolani and Barlow maneuvers?

• A. Ortolani reduces the hip; Barlow dislocates it
• B. Ortolani dislocates the hip; Barlow reduces it
• C. Both maneuvers diagnose hip dysplasia in children under 6 months
• D. Both maneuvers are used to immobilize the hip

Answer: (A)

The key idea is understanding what each test does to the hip in newborns. Barlow is provocative: with the hip flexed, adducted, and gentle posterior pressure, it tries to dislocate a hip that isn’t securely seated in the socket. A hip that can be displaced is considered dislocatable, indicating instability. Ortolani, on the other hand, is corrective: with the thigh flexed and then abducted, gentle anterior pressure guides the femoral head back into the acetabulum. A palpable clunk as the head relocates signals that a previously dislocated hip can be reduced and is now seated. Therefore, the statement that Ortolani reduces the hip and Barlow dislocates it reflects the true actions of the maneuvers. These tests are used to screen for developmental hip dysplasia in infants, with positive signs indicating dislocation (Barlow) or relocation (Ortolani). They are not about immobilizing the hip, and while both are used to assess hip stability in early infancy, the essential difference lies in whether the maneuver tends to dislocate or reduce the hip.

The key idea is understanding what each test does to the hip in newborns. Barlow is provocative: with the hip flexed, adducted, and gentle posterior pressure, it tries to dislocate a hip that isn’t securely seated in the socket. A hip that can be displaced is considered dislocatable, indicating instability.

Ortolani, on the other hand, is corrective: with the thigh flexed and then abducted, gentle anterior pressure guides the femoral head back into the acetabulum. A palpable clunk as the head relocates signals that a previously dislocated hip can be reduced and is now seated.

Therefore, the statement that Ortolani reduces the hip and Barlow dislocates it reflects the true actions of the maneuvers. These tests are used to screen for developmental hip dysplasia in infants, with positive signs indicating dislocation (Barlow) or relocation (Ortolani). They are not about immobilizing the hip, and while both are used to assess hip stability in early infancy, the essential difference lies in whether the maneuver tends to dislocate or reduce the hip.