Central Hip Dislocation
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer. A central hip dislocation, also known as a central femoral head dislocation, is a devastating and unusual injury.
What is a Central Hip Dislocation?
The acetabulum receives the head of the femur and the two together form the hip joint. If trauma occurs, the femoral head can get dislocated from the hip socket. If this occurs in a central manner, meaning straight down, it is termed a central hip dislocation. Unfortunately, this dislocation is often associated with bone fractures, such as a fracture of the hip socket or a pelvic fracture.
Mechanism of Injury
A central hip dislocation an example of a traumatic injury could occur in an auto accident or a slip and fall injury. For a central hip dislocation to occur, the trauma must be applied in a completely vertical manner with extreme traction on the femur, tibia, and fibula, such as using the patient’s foot. When this happens, the femoral head is displaced in a completely central manner.
Treatment of a Central Hip Dislocation
The first step in the treatment of this injury is to image the dislocation to look for any associated fractures, which are common. After this, the patient must spend several weeks in traction to keep the femoral head from dislocating again. This lateral traction is combined with a pin through the trochanter to keep the joint reduced.
Complications are Common
This is an unusual and devastating injury where complications and comorbidities are common. Examples include fractures of the acetabulum, sometimes in multiple places, and fractures of the femoral head, which are also common.
Multiple Structures in Play
The most common structures that are at risk are nerves, with almost a quarter of patients suffering injuries to the sciatic nerve. This nerve runs down the leg and damage to this nerve can result in motor and sensory abnormalities, including pain. It is important for every medical professional to check on the status of this nerve with this injury.
Differential Diagnosis
There are multiple other diagnoses that are going to be considered with this type of an injury, including:
- Posterior hip dislocation
- Anterior hip dislocation
- Femur Fracture
- Acetabulur fracture
- Pelvic fracture
- Straddle fracture
Injury Prognosis
The prognosis with this type injury is wide and varied. It usually depends on the status of other bones in the area. If there is associated nerve injury or other fractures, the recovery process is going to be long and could require extensive rehabilitation.
Surgery is Common
Surgery is very common with this injury as most patients require a pin to be placed in their trochanter. Any associated nerve injuries or other fractures will need to be repaired as well, often through a surgical approach.
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Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer. Any individual who has suffered a dislocation of their hip should consider contacting my office today at (916) 921-6400 for friendly, free advice. For those who do not live in the Sacramento area, please feel free to contact my toll-free number: (800) 404-5400.
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Top Image Source: Used with permission under the CC BY SA version 3.0 License. Taken from Wikimedia Commons.
Final Image: Photograph of Edward A Smith, Sacramento personal injury lawyer
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