An exploratory study of young women adjusting to developmental dysplasia of the hip and deciding on treatment choices

Abstract

Objective: To explore the experiences of young women adjusting to living with developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) and deciding on treatment choices. Methods: Exploratory study of a set of online postings from one message board aimed at women with DDH. Postings of five, purposively selected users were explored from first posting to the time of their peri-acetabular osteotomy surgery. Data analysis was performed through the approach of interpretive phenomenological analysis. Results: Two major concepts were prominent across participants’ accounts; first, ‘challenging the life course and identity as a young woman’ and second, ‘saving my joints’. Central was the women’s description of how the diagnosis of DDH challenged the way they viewed themselves as young women. Once the women began to understand the long-term implications of having DDH they all began a quest to save their ‘native joint’, delaying the need for an artificial joint for as long as possible. Conclusion: The findings demonstrate the personal nature and diversity of the journeys the women followed. DDH potentially provides a critical case for exploration of the process of adjustment, as its treatment pathway and rehabilitation are lengthy and both physically and emotionally demanding.