Anterior Hip Dislocation
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer. An anterior hip dislocation is an injury that can be seen with auto accidents. It is separate from the posterior hip dislocation and should be addressed below.
What is an Anterior Hip Dislocation?
The head of the femur inserts into a portion of the pelvis called the acetabulum, also known as the hip socket. Sometimes, due to trauma, the head of the femur can get dislocated and pop out of the hip socket. This is termed a hip dislocation. When the head of the femur pops out of the hip and moves in the forward direction, this is termed an anterior hip dislocation. This injury may be associated with other bone fractures, for example a pelvic fracture.
Mechanism of Injury
An anterior hip dislocation is one of numerous traumatic injuries that can be seen when someone is involved in an auto accident or a bicycle accident. If the head of the femur has been popped out of place in an anterior hip dislocation, the force typically comes from behind the patient. The force is applied to the rear of the femur and moves the head of the femur forward, representing an anterior dislocation. This can be seen in numerous types of traumatic accidents.
Treatment of an Anterior Hip Dislocation
Treatment of the injury must first start with a reduction of the hip dislocation. This is typically done in a closed manner; however, the patient must be assessed for other associated injuries prior to this reduction to ensure that ancillary structures aren’t damaged in the process.
Complications are Possible
Because the hips and pelvis are home to important structures, a couple of comorbidities must be kept in mind. If there are fractures involved, it is possible for nerves that run through the pelvis to be damaged. This could lead to a loss of motor and sensory function.
Structures at Risk
One of the major complications to keep in mind is avascular necrosis of the femoral head. This happens when the blood flow to the head of the femur has been severed. This could lead to death of bone cells in the vicinity. The organs inside the pelvis, such as the uterus, are also at risk. This could lead to problems regarding pregnancy and future fertility.
Differential Diagnosis
There are multiple diagnoses that must be considered with an anterior hip dislocation, including:
- Posterior hip dislocation
- Femur fracture
- Pelvic fracture
- Straddle fracture
Injury Prognosis
The prognosis of an anterior hip dislocation will hinge on whether or not ancillary structures have been damaged. If they have been spared, the prognosis is typically a fast recovery; however, patients should remember a subsequent dislocation is more likely once a bone has been dislocated the first time.
Surgery is Common
If there are associated unstable fractures, avascular necrosis, or damage to ancillary structures, surgery may be required to reduce the dislocation and repair the fractures. This could require internal fixation of the bones as well.
Sacramento Injury Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer. Individuals who have developed an anterior hip dislocation should consider calling me at (916) 921-6400 for free, friendly legal advice. I have a toll-free option for individuals who are from outside of Sacramento, which is (800) 404-5400.
I am excited to be an accident lawyer in the California Million Dollar Forum. This is a top-tier collection of attorneys that have been included on lists of several of the top trial lawyers the country has to offer. The members of this forum have obtained settlement agreements or verdicts worth in excess of $1 Million dollars.
A large number of my past verdicts and settlements can be read here.
Many of my client reviews and ratings are up on Avvo, Yelp, and Google.
Image Source: Printed with permission under the Creative Commons version 2.0 License from Wikimedia Commons
:dr [cs 654] cv