Use of dental instrument in paediatric hip surgery

摘要

It has been noted that the eversion of an inverted limbus during open reduction of a congenitally dislocated hip can be technically difficult. It is important not to traumatise the acetabuiar growth piate. We have found that this procedure is made easier by using a dental instrument - the 'Ward's dental dissector' (Fig. 1) to elevate the limbus from the margin of the acetabulum. This is routinely used by dentists for elevation of gingival tissue.