Which statement correctly describes the relationship between Barlow and Ortolani maneuvers?

• A. Barlow dislocates; Ortolani reduces
• B. Barlow reduces; Ortolani dislocates
• C. Barlow and Ortolani diagnose knee instability
• D. Ortolani is used for hip localization only

Answer: (A)

Two newborn hip checks work in tandem to assess developmental dysplasia of the hip: one test looks for a hip that can be dislocated, the other for a hip that can be reduced back into the socket. In the dislocation test, with the baby supine and the hip flexed, you gently adduct the thigh and apply a posterior force along the femur; if the femoral head pops out of the acetabulum, that’s a dislocation that can be forced out. In the reduction test, you flex the hip and knee and then abduct the thigh while lifting the femoral head anteriorly toward the acetabulum; if the hip was dislocated, you’ll feel or hear a clunk as it reduces back into place. So, Barlow dislocates and Ortolani reduces. These maneuvers distinguish instability from a reducible dislocation and are not tests for knee instability or tests of localization alone.