Barlow maneuver


The Barlow maneuver is a physical examination performed on infants to screen for developmental dysplasia of the hip. It is named for Dr. Thomas Geoffrey Barlow, an English orthopedic surgeon, who devised this test. It was clinically tested during 1957–1962 at Hope Hospital, Salford, Lancashire.

Procedure

The maneuver is easily performed by adducting the hip 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 is then used, to confirm the positive finding.