HipScreen: a valid mobile app to measure hip migration in children with cerebral palsy in the community setting

Listen to Simon and Amy discuss the paper 'HipScreen: a valid mobile app to measure hip migration in children with cerebral palsy in the community setting' published in the April 2026 issue of Bone & Joint Open.

Click here to read the paper.

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Transcript

[00:00:00] Welcome back to another episode of AI Talks with Bone & Joint, brought to you by the publishers of Bone & Joint Open. Today, we're discussing the paper 'HipScreen: a valid mobile app to measure hip migration in children with cerebral palsy in the community setting', published in April 2026 by A M Khan and colleagues.

I'm Simon, and with me is my co-host, Amy. Hello, Simon. I'm quite eager to explore this topic. It's fascinating how technology is being utilized in medical fields, particularly to enhance the quality of life for children with cerebral palsy. To start, let's provide our listeners with a brief overview. This study examines the HipScreen app, a smartphone application designed to measure hip migration percentage in children with cerebral palsy.

The researchers aimed to determine if both experts and novices could use this app effectively. Migration percentage is crucial as it's the gold-standard radiological measure used to decide on the surgical management of hip displacement in children with cerebral palsy. Early and [00:01:00] accurate identification can lead to better outcomes.

Exactly. The participants were divided into two groups, one with experienced community physiotherapists and pediatricians and another with inexperienced physiotherapists without cerebral palsy experience. Both groups used the HipScreen app to measure migration percentage in 20 pelvic radiographs at two different points in time.

All participants watched tutorial videos, which were freely available on the app developer's website before they began. They then compared their measurements with the gold-standard measurements made by a senior pediatric orthopaedic surgeon using a picture archiving and communication system.

Interestingly, the findings revealed that both experienced and inexperienced groups had highly significant correlations with the gold-standard measurements. Inter-rater and intra-rater reliability were both excellent, with intraclass correlation coefficients over 0.9. That's quite remarkable. It demonstrates that the app can be reliably used by practitioners irrespective [00:02:00] of their experience with cerebral palsy.

It levels the playing field and enables even inexperienced community health workers to contribute effectively to hip surveillance. Yes, and a key takeaway is that the use of the HipScreen app did not require additional supplementary training for non-specialists to achieve accurate measurements. This is a significant step forward for integrating such technology into community settings.

Indeed. The broader implication suggests that integrating simple, validated tools like the HipScreen app can significantly improve early detection and referral processes for children at risk of hip displacement. There's also the added benefit of potentially reducing healthcare costs by minimizing the need for specialized orthopediatric consultations solely for screening purposes and instead streamlining the referral process when intervention becomes necessary.

Absolutely, Simon. The study showed that standard training resources available online were sufficient to get users started. Whilst additional training slightly improved accuracy, the [00:03:00] initial scores were already quite commendable.

An intriguing point they raised was about the potential future of AI and machine learning in this field. Technologies like BoneFinder, another promising tool, could automate assessments further. That could certainly revolutionise the field. However, manual measurements still hold significant importance, especially in cases with artefacts or where a clinician's judgment is required. In conclusion, this study robustly supports the use of the HipScreen app as a reliable, user-friendly, and effective tool for health practitioners working with children who have cerebral palsy.

It promotes early intervention and could lead to better health outcomes. Indeed, Simon and for our listeners, if you're involved in paediatric orthopaedics or community healthcare, this is certainly an app worth considering. Thanks for tuning in to AI Talks with Bone & Joint. Until next time.