The Hodge Blueprints It is a terminology used by doctors in the obstetric branch to be able to use it before attending a delivery. Surely you have never heard of it, but they handle it as a fundamental part of a physical exam in Obstetrics.
Its main function It is based on having to determine what the position of the fetus will be in the trajectory of the birth canal and thus establish how the degree of descent can be when the baby has to go out through the vagina.
What is the Hodge Plane?
The Hodge Plane is a level that is used in the gynecology part to imaginatively divide the pelvis from the upper narrow part to the lower narrow part, in order to locate how the fetus will be located in its birth canal and how the dimensions of its head will be so that it can pass through the birth canal until it is expelled. Lee's Planes are also used to be able to do the same type of study, exploration and calculation.
What is the function of this procedure?
Hodge's Plane It must be applied knowing well the anatomy that comforts the woman's pelvic area. This area is a place delimited by bones that are under the trunk and that contains the internal reproductive organs.
With Hodge's Plane four imaginary and parallel lines will be drawn from various specific points where the zone will be divided into four parts, hence these zones are contrasted to calculate the level of descent and degree of Fetal nesting.
Leopold's maneuvers will be those that measure this degree of engagement and they will be complemented through a vaginal examination, which will determine the type of pelvis. You can also distinguish the 4 Hodge Plans that we write later.
Through all these explorations the doctor can know if the labor is progressing normally or if, on the contrary, the labor is not going to unfold in a simple way since his measures are not consistent for a good expulsion of the fetus.
Hodge's 4 Blueprints
There are four Hogde blueprints that will be studied and assessed to determine various circumstances.
Close-up of Hodge
It is an imaginary line that crosses from the superior border of the Pubic Symphysis to the junction of the fifth lumbar vertebra or the posterior part of the sacrum bone. This part is referred to as the anatomical shape with the superior Strait of the Pelvis.
On this plane it can be confirmed if the head is positioned or fitted correctly in this area. This maneuver can be completed with the Leopold's Third Maneuver, where a manual examination called rallying will be done to find out how the lower fetal pole is embedded in the pelvis.
Hodge's Background
It is another parallel and imaginary line formed with respect to the First Plane. It is formed from the lower border of the public symphysis to the second vertebra of the sacrum. At this point we can specify that the fetal head is in the background or is insinuated or fixed. Here you can already practice Leopold's Third Maneuver to determine your position.
Hodge's Third Plane
It is the imaginary and parallel line that happens to the other two previous planes. It is traced from both ischial spines, running along the anterior face of the 3rd Sacral vertebra to the Ischium. In this plane, it can be confirmed whether the fetus's head is correctly fitted., from this point on We can determine that the baby will be close to being born and we can talk about the Active Phase.
Hodge's Room
This fourth line is the one that is represented from the back of the vertex of the Sacral Bone and corresponds to the narrow lower part of the pelvis. Here a fully embedded fetal head should be present in this area and it will be confirmed that a birth is near.
At this point through an exploration the fetal head can be easily perceived by manual examination. This will give way to the days following a Dilation and Borramieto although the membranes may still be intact and bulging, which must break for delivery to occur.