Barlow and Ortolani Maneuvers
The Newborn Examination
Barlow Maneuver
The examiner grasps the infant's thigh near the hip and with gentle posterior/lateral pressure, attempts to dislocate the femoral head from the acetabulum. Normally, there is no motion in this direction. If the hip is dislocatable, a distinct "clunk" may be felt as the femoral heads pops out of joint.
Ortolani Maneuver
For the Ortolani maneuver, the hip is abducted and gentle pressure is applied to the proximal thigh from behind. Here, the examiner attempts to relocate an already dislocated femoral head back into the acetabulum. If the joint is dislocated, a palpable "clunk" is noticed as the head slides back into place.