Curie Brief
Turn on cookies to sign in
Signing in saves your progress to your Curie account. We can only do that with cookies on — turn them on to continue.
News
A common misnomer in pediatric orthopedics is getting called out. Most patellar dislocations labeled "congenital" in children and adolescents aren't truly congenital at all — they're developmental. Experts are pushing for the term "developmental dysplasia of patella" (DDP) to replace the misnomer, as the distinction carries real clinical and surgical implications.
The term "congenital patellar dislocation" is being widely misapplied in pediatric orthopedics, and it's causing real confusion. True congenital patellar dislocation — a fixed, irreducible dislocation present at birth due to failed embryonic development — is exceedingly rare, affecting fewer than 1 in 1 million people. Yet the label is routinely applied to habitual and fixed patellar dislocations that develop during childhood or adolescence, which are fundamentally different conditions.
Dr. Shital N. Parikh argues that the more accurate term, "developmental dysplasia of patella" (DDP), should be adopted for all habitual or fixed patellar dislocations that aren't truly congenital — mirroring the successful terminology shift from "congenital hip dislocation" to "developmental dysplasia of the hip." Even patellar dislocations associated with genetic syndromes like Down syndrome are developmental, not congenital, since they emerge during childhood rather than at birth.
Key Takeaways:
Why it matters: Getting the terminology right isn't just semantic — it directly shapes surgical planning, research accuracy, and avoids unfairly implying that a birth diagnosis was missed by parents or clinicians.
