Often performed with Ortolani test, the Barlow maneuver attempts to:

• A. Diagnose soft tissue contractures that have formed around an unstable hip
• B. Reduce a dislocated femoral head
• C. Dislocate the femoral head from an unstable hip joint
• D. Test for knee stability

Answer: (C)

The Barlow maneuver is a provocative test for hip stability in newborns. It tries to dislocate a hip that is unstable or already partially dislocated. With the infant’s hip flexed and adducted, you apply gentle posterior pressure along the knee to push the femoral head out of the acetabulum. If the head can be displaced, that positive sign indicates an unstable hip that may develop into developmental dysplasia of the hip. This is typically used alongside the Ortolani test, which then attempts to reduce a dislocated hip by abducting and lifting the femoral head back into the socket, often felt as a soft clunk. The Barlow maneuver is not used to diagnose soft tissue contractures, test knee stability, or diagnose other joints; its purpose is specifically to reveal hip instability by attempting to dislocate the femoral head.