Patient Stories

Robyn’s Story


This is my story, l’m 27 years old, I live in St Helens, Lancashire, England. I was born with NO hip sockets (they were flat, with no shape to them whatsoever) and was diagonsed with bilateral developmental hip dysplasia.

When I was born the only treatment available was a craig splint, as a cast was only effective if there was shallow hip sockets. When I reached 6 months old, my parents were told that my hips had formed and I was going to be discharged. I was discharged only for us to find out, when I was 23 and having physio for a cartalige problem in my left knee, that my hip sockets hadn’t fully developed.

In my pre-teen and teen yaers I suffered from frequint dislocations, pain, and walked/ran like a toddler… I still do, much to my friend’s and family’s amusement.  In the last 2 years I have been refered to a specialist in DDH and had a dynamic arthrogram and multiple steroid injections.  I’m currently waiting for another one.I have made a deal with my consultant in regards to my weight, that if I lose enough weight to reach 14 stone then he will start the process for APO. I’m now at 15 stone from a starting weight of 17 stone.

I haven’t ever heard of anyone else being born without any hip sockets.