Epidemiology and costs of surgical treatment of developmental dysplasia of hip in the Brazilian Public Health System in a decade

OBJECTIVE: To describe and analyze the epidemiology and costs of surgical treatment of hip dysplasia in the Brazilian Public Health System. METHODS: An ecological analytical study that evaluated a time series and the geographic distribution of surgical treatment of hip dysplasia in Brazil. Frequencies of cases, number of cases and associated factors were analyzed. Correlations, frequency maps and flow maps are presented and discussed. RESULTS: During the study, 14,584 patients with dysplasia were admitted to hospitals according to Information Technology Department of the Public Health System. Patients underwent hospital treatment specific for dysplasia in 8,592 cases (at an average cost of R$ 2.225,50, total cost of R$ 19.124.086,25– updated values). In this group, mortality rate was 0.046% and mean hospitalization time was 4.41 days (standard deviation of 2,39 days). Age between 1 and 4 years (37.7%), female sex (64.5%) and white race (46%) were more frequent. Greater rates of specialists (R²=0.82; p<0.001), greater proportion of counties with high/very high human development index (R²=0.79; p<0.001), and higher per capita income (R²=0.68; p<0.001) correlated to greater rates of treatments undertaken per 1,000 live births (as per State of treatment). The factor most related to treatment rate per 1,000 live births (as per State of residence) was white race (R²=0.90; p<0.001). Southern states had higher treatment rates (as per State of residence, rate of 0.73/1,000), and Southeast states had greater absolute frequency of cases (46.7%) and greater flow of patients. CONCLUSION: The surgical treatment of hip dysplasia in Brazil occurs frequently, at relevant costs, and is distributed in a heterogenous and unequal fashion in the Public Health System. Southern states have a higher incidence of cases, and there is an association with racial and socioeconomic factors. There was no large variation in the incidence of cases over time.