Research

The internet is full of interesting quotes. Of note today:

"Children with femoral anteversion often sit in the W position"

This is why I couldn't sit in that damned "indian style" position but instead was teased mercilessly and punished by teachers since I sat in the "W" position.

"First born females comprise 82% of all acetabular dysplasia cases."

Check.

"Those with dysplasia are often also swaybacked due to muscles which are not in balance due to the deformity."

Check. My costumer knows I am swaybacked, as does my ballet teacher who liked to whack my butt and tell me that my posture was terrible and that I "just needed to suck it in more." Right.

The following quote is from "Sarah" on the "Hipwomen" yahoo group. Sounds very much like someone else I know:

"Most doctors, most people, don't know much about dysplasia and so miss all the warning signs. I had slightly pigeon-toed feet (my right foot was worse) as
a child, and instead of getting me checked out I just learned to
walk with my feet straight so that I wouldn't get teased anymore. I
grew up figure skating and there were all kinds of moves I couldn't
do that all the other girls could, but I was just told I had "closed
hips" and people thought I was not being disciplined about
stretching (even though I was incredibly flexible everywhere else).
Now that I've had a PAO, I'm wondering if I'll be able to perform
those moves that I never could when I was younger?"

I cried when I read that this afternoon. I am trying to contact "Sarah," who had her PAO surgery in 2004. I want to hear that she is doing those spread eagles and choctaws that we closed hip people could never do ... although I'd be happy to know that she can still skate at all.