hip
Traumatic Hip Dislocation
intermediate
6 min
28 marks
6 questions
Clinical Scenario
A 25-year-old male unrestrained driver is brought to the Emergency Department following a high-speed motor vehicle accident. He complains of severe right hip pain and is unable to move his leg. On examination, the right leg is shortened, internally rotated, and adducted. There is no distal neurovascular deficit. A secondary survey reveals no other significant injuries.
Pelvic radiograph is provided.
Pelvic radiograph is provided.

Clinical image for Traumatic Hip Dislocation
Image source: Open Access medical literature (NIH/PubMed Central) • CC-BY License
Questions
Question 1 (4 marks)
Define hip dislocation. Describe the classification and mechanism of injury for each type.
Question 2 (5 marks)
Describe your initial assessment and emergency management of this patient. What are the time-critical considerations?
Question 3 (6 marks)
What imaging is required? How do you assess for associated injuries?
Question 4 (5 marks)
Describe the technique for closed reduction of a posterior hip dislocation. What are the indications for open reduction?
Question 5 (4 marks)
What are the associated injuries with hip dislocation? How do you manage posterior wall fractures?
Question 6 (4 marks)
What are the complications of hip dislocation? What factors affect long-term prognosis?