Traumatic posterior hip dislocation in a 16-month-old child: a case report and review of literature

Abstract

Traumatic posterior hip dislocation is an uncommon injury in children, constituting less than 5% of paediatric dislocations. In a younger child (less than 5 years), minor trauma such as a slip or fall from a low height may cause a hip dislocation, whereas in an adolescent a dislocation is usually caused by a major trauma such as motor vehicle accident. In this case report we present a rare case of traumatic hip dislocation in a 16-month-old girl. Early detection and closed reduction ensured good outcome in our case. A high index of suspicion is necessary to achieve satisfactory reduction within six hours of dislocation because reduction after this period will greatly increase the risk of complications.