Compensations during walking vary across slopes in patients with hip dysplasia

Patients with developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) adopt movement compensations to stabilize the hip during sloped walking, but compensations vary across degrees of inclination. Patients with DDH increased activation demand on the hip abductors during level walking, while increasing the co-activation demand on hip flexors and extensors during decline walking. Patients with DDH also demonstrated smaller hip abductor moments in all tasks, which may be indicative of abductor muscle weakness.