Current practice in use of prereduction traction for congenital dislocation of the hip.

To define the current application of preliminary traction for congenital dislocation of the hip (CDH), 335 members of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society were surveyed, with an 87% response rate. Most respondents believe that traction reduces the incidence of avascular necrosis (AVN) and enables easier reduction. Only 5% of those surveyed do not use traction, but it is used more frequently in the Northeastern United States. Home traction, favored by 31% of the respondents, is used longer than hospital traction. Although traction is commonly used, a consensus to use preliminary traction has not been achieved. Practice patterns should not be used to determine effectiveness of a treatment.