Multicenter epidemiological investigation and analysis of factors associated with transient synovitis of the hip in 5065 children treated across 32 tertiary children’s hospitals in China

PURPOSE: To analyze the epidemiological characteristics and factors associated with transient synovitis of the hip (TSH) in Chinese children. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the data of children with TSH who were hospitalized across 32 pediatric tertiary hospitals affiliated with China's Futang Research Center of Pediatric Development between December 1, 2015, and December 31, 2022. We used the ICD10 codes on the first page of the medical records to identify the cases and extracted data on age, sex, diagnosis, treatment methods, onset time, region, and various expenses incurred during hospitalization. RESULTS: The study cohort comprised a total of 5065 children, including 3711 males and 1354 females. The age group with the highest number of TSH cases was the preschool children group, with 2452 cases (48.4%), and the lowest number of cases was recorded in the adolescent group, with 119 cases (2.3%). In terms of hospitalization time, the adolescent group had the longest average hospitalization time of 9.4 ± 5.6 days. In terms of the geographical distribution of onset, the number of cases in East China was higher than that in other geographical regions. In addition, in terms of treatment options, children were more likely to receive conservative treatment (7,667 instances) than surgical treatment (80 instances). Among conservative treatments, the most common was skin traction (4,508 instances). Among the various hospitalization expenses, the cost of examinations was the highest, reaching USD 188.35. CONCLUSION: This study summarizes the epidemiological characteristics of transient synovitis of the hip (TSH) in Chinese children, providing important clinical data to support the overall understanding and treatment of this disease.