Cradleboard use has been associated with increased incidence of developmental dysplasia of the hip. The technique requires straightening the legs, which encourages dislocation of the femur and malformation of the acetabulum. This can be avoided by placing padding between the baby's legs to keep the knees slightly bent with the hips angled outwards. Some modern cradleboard users say that the small 1968 study of Navajo babies was intentionally designed to denigrate a traditional cultural practice. 