TO EVALUATE THE CHANGES IN HIP JOINT RELATED TO LOWER LIMB DOMINANCE AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH HIP DISLOCATION

BACKGROUND: The stability of a joint depends on the arrangement of the articular surfaces. Thefailure of acetabulum to deepen along with associated relaxed capsule can be a causative factor leadingto congenital dislocation of hip in babies. The right traumatic hip dislocation is less uncommon ascompared to left side in adults.OBJECTIVE: To correlate the majority of right-footed population with the bony parameters of hipjoint bilaterally and to find out its association with left congenital and right acquired traumaticdislocation of hip.MATERIAL AND METHODS: As the right footed people are considerably more (90%) than the leftfooted and this study work was correlated with the bones collected from cadavers in Anatomydepartment of KGMC Peshawar from January 2014 to December 2014. We included 14 pairs of femurs,14 pairs of hip bones in this study to see the structural differences when dominant hip joint is comparedwith non-dominant hip joints. The measurements were performed with the help of vernier caliper.RESULTS: The mean horizontal diameter of right (dominant) and left acetabulum was 50.14±0.69 mmand 52.35±0.65mm. The mean horizontal depth of right and left acetabulum was 22.21±0.82mm and25.25±0.52mm. The horizontal diameter of right and left femur was 46.42±0.62mm and 43.85±01mm.The thickness of femoral head was 26.71±01mm on right (dominant) side but this thickness was29.17±01mm on left side.CONCLUSION: The left acetabulum was having a significant larger diameter in adult, allowing thesmaller left femoral head to fit snugly which can be correlated with the more common left congenitaldislocation hip. On the other hand, in adults, the left acetabulum is deeper, allowing the thicker left headof femur as an adjustment for weight bearing functionwhile the larger rightfemoral head fit into acomparatively shallow socket. This may be a factor to improve mobility at the cost of stability; as righttraumatic dislocationhip is less uncommon as compared to left side.KEY WORDS: Hip joint, Ball and socket joint. Dominant lower limb, Right footedness,Left footedness, Congenital dislocation hip, Traumatic dislocation hip.