Hip dislocations are infrequent occurring almost always after a traumatic injury 85 to 90 of these are posterior dislocations Dislocations of the hip including a spectrum of injuries that have considerable potential for long term disability and rapidly progressing joint degeneration To dislocate a hip requires massive force Associated injuries are common and should be screened These include fractures of the femoral head femoral neck acetabulum or a combination of these Time to presentation and more importantly reduction of the hip dislocation is essential in treating this injury and minimizing long term complications such as avascular necrosis and posttraumatic arthritis Small cartilaginous or osseous fragments may remain in the joint space preventing a congruent reduction In addition the vascular supply to the femoral head may be irreversibly damaged at the time of the injury These associated injuries can compromise the likelihood of maintaining a normally functioning hip joint Sciatic nerve injuries and trauma to more distal aspects of the ipsilateral extremity trauma can affect management and outcome of patients who sustain a hip dislocation
