Hip Preservation at UPMC Children’s: Recent Research from the Adolescent and Young Adult Hip Preservation Program
February 23, 2026
The Adolescent and Young Adult Hip Preservation Program at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh evaluates and treats structural hip disorders that cause pain and functional limitation in adolescents and young adults, including hip dysplasia, femoroacetabular impingement, labral pathology, and other conditions. The program combines clinical evaluation, advanced imaging, nonoperative management, and surgical care to develop individualized treatment plans for young patients with complex hip disorders.
Recent research led by Michael P. McClincy, MD, associate professor of orthopaedic surgery and director, Adolescent and Young Adult Hip Preservation Program, examines how hip and pelvic anatomy influence motion, function, and surgical outcomes.
One recent study1, published in the Journal of Hip Preservation Surgery, examined loss of hip motion that can occur during periacetabular osteotomy for hip dysplasia. Although periacetabular osteotomy restores acetabular coverage, prominent bone along the anteroinferior iliac spine can create a mechanical block to motion after the socket is repositioned. In this study, Dr. McClincy and colleagues assessed hip motion intraoperatively following acetabular correction and performed targeted subspine decompression when residual impingement was identified. Hip rotation improved immediately after decompression and remained near preoperative levels during follow-up, with associated improvements in pain, walking ability, and overall hip function.
A second study2, published in Gait & Posture, examined how pelvic anatomy influences hip and pelvic motion during walking in asymptomatic young adults. The work was conducted in collaboration with the Biodynamics Laboratory in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, led by William Anderst, PhD, where dual biplane radiography was used to directly measure hip and pelvic bone motion during gait. Using computed tomography (CT) imaging combined with dynamic biplane radiography, Dr. McClincy and colleagues found that pelvic incidence, a fixed anatomic parameter, was closely related to pelvic orientation during walking and to sagittal plane hip motion. Higher pelvic incidence was associated with less peak hip flexion and greater peak hip extension during gait, without changes in overall hip range of motion.
These studies address different aspects of how fixed anatomy and surgical decision-making can influence functional hip motion. Intraoperative assessment of motion can help identify residual mechanical constraints before they contribute to postoperative stiffness. Functionally, understanding how pelvic anatomy shapes a person’s gait mechanics may help explain the variability in movement patterns often seen in individuals with the same kind of hip morphology.
This ongoing work by Dr. McClincy and colleagues supports integration of detailed motion assessment into clinical decision-making for hip preservation care over time.
Study References
- Shihab W, Luck C, Oakley J, McClincy MP. Anteroinferior iliac spine osteoplasty at the time of periacetabular osteotomy helps preserve preoperative range of motion. J Hip Preserv Surg. 2025; 12(2):139–143. (Paper is open access)
- Luck C, Ruh E, Godbold E, Johnson C, Disantis A, Frankston N, Charles S, Mauro C, Anderst W, McClincy MP. Spinopelvic parameters during gait revealed through biplane radiography. Gait Posture. 2025; 121:346–351. (Paper is open access.)
