The Barlow maneuver is a physical examination performed on
infant
An infant or baby is the very young offspring of human beings. ''Infant'' (from the Latin word ''infans'', meaning 'unable to speak' or 'speechless') is a formal or specialised synonym for the common term ''baby''. The terms may also be used to ...
s to screen for
developmental dysplasia of the hip. It is named for Dr. Thomas Geoffrey Barlow (September 25, 1915 – May 25, 1975), an
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
orthopedic surgeon
Orthopedic surgery or orthopedics ( alternatively spelt orthopaedics), is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system. Orthopedic surgeons use both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal ...
, who devised this test. It was clinically tested during 1957–1962 at Hope Hospital,
Salford
Salford () is a city and the largest settlement in the City of Salford metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. In 2011, Salford had a population of 103,886. It is also the second and only other city in the metropolitan county afte ...
,
Lancashire
Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly.
The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...
.
Procedure
The maneuver is easily performed by
adducting the hip (bringing the thigh towards the midline) while applying pressure on the knee, directing the force posteriorly.
Interpretation
If the hip is dislocatable — that is, if the hip can be popped out of socket with this maneuver — the test is considered positive. The
Ortolani maneuver
The Ortolani test is part of the physical examination for developmental dysplasia of the hip, along with the Barlow maneuver. Specifically, the Ortolani test is positive when a posterior dislocation of the hip is reducible with this maneuver. T ...
is then used, to confirm the positive finding (i.e., that the hip actually dislocated).
See also
*
Hip dysplasia (human)
Hip dysplasia is an abnormality of the hip joint where the socket portion does not fully cover the ball portion, resulting in an increased risk for joint dislocation. Hip dysplasia may occur at birth or develop in early life. Regardless, it doe ...
References
Child development
Eponyms in medicine
{{Med-sign-stub