Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip (DDH) is a paediatric orthopaedic condition where early recognition, appropriate screening and timely referral can have a significant impact on treatment options and long-term outcomes. Where diagnosis is missed or delayed, clinical negligence claims can raise complex questions around breach of duty, causation, prognosis and the consequences of later intervention.

In these cases, establishing whether an earlier diagnosis would have altered the child's treatment pathway or eventual outcome is often central to the dispute. Solicitors need to understand how DDH presents, the limitations of screening and clinical examination, when further investigation or referral may be indicated, and how delays can affect the need for surgery, future hip function and long-term prognosis.

The webinar will also consider how growth and skeletal development influence outcomes, the potential for pain, restricted mobility and degenerative change in later life, and how uncertainty around future treatment and surgery can affect quantum and the valuation of claims.

This session will help you to:

• Understand how DDH presents in infants and children, including the clinical signs, screening processes and investigations relevant to early diagnosis.
• Identify common points at which recognition, diagnosis or referral may be delayed, and the evidence relevant to assessing potential breaches of duty.
• Assess how the timing of diagnosis and treatment can influence available interventions, surgical complexity and functional outcomes.
• Strengthen causation arguments by understanding whether earlier intervention would have materially changed the child's likely treatment pathway or prognosis.
• Appreciate the impact of growth, skeletal development and potential long-term complications, including pain, mobility restrictions, degenerative change and future surgery.
• Interpret paediatric orthopaedic expert evidence more effectively when assessing condition and prognosis, future treatment needs and quantum.