Clinical efficacy of early postoperative rehabilitation training in children with developmental dysplasia of the hip

This retrospective cohort included children with developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) undergoing surgery at a single institution from January 2019 to December 2024. An early postoperative rehabilitation protocol was introduced in January 2022; patients treated earlier comprised the control group (n = 51), and those treated thereafter formed the observation group (n = 58). Eligible participants were 6 months to 7 years old with radiographically confirmed DDH (Tönnis II-IV or International Hip Dysplasia Institute criteria) and received closed or open reduction with or without osteotomy, followed by standard immobilization. Outcomes were assessed over 6 months and included pain by the visual analogue scale (VAS), hip function by the Harris hip score, lower-limb motor performance by the simplified Fugl-Meyer assessment, and health-related quality of life by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30). Baseline characteristics were comparable between groups. VAS declined over time in both groups; no between-group difference was detected at 6 hours and 1 day, whereas the observation group showed significantly lower VAS from day 3 to day 14. The observation group demonstrated significantly higher Harris hip score, Fugl-Meyer assessment, and QLQ-C30 scores at 1, 3, and 6 months. Early rehabilitation was associated with faster analgesic recovery and superior functional and quality-of-life outcomes. Findings support integration of structured, stability-aware early rehabilitation after DDH surgery, recognizing the limitations of a nonrandomized design and 6-month follow-up.