Treatment of Hip Dislocations and Associated Injuries: Current State of Care

Abstract

Hip dislocations, most often caused by motor vehicle accidents or similar high-energy trauma, traverse a large subset of distinct injury patterns. Understanding these patterns and their associated injuries allows surgeons to provide optimal care for these patients both in the early and late postinjury periods. Nonoperative care requires surgeons to understand the indications. Surgical care requires the surgeon to understand the benefits and limitations of several surgical approaches. This article presents the current understanding of hip dislocation treatment, focusing on anatomy, injury classifications, nonoperative and operative management, and postinjury care.

Keywords: Acetabular fracture; Femoral head fracture; Hip dislocation; Irreducible dislocation; Orthopedic emergency.