Chronically unreduced traumatic anterior dislocation of the hip: a report of four cases

Four cases of unreduced (2-11 months postinjury) anterior hip dislocation are reported. One public dislocation 2 months postinjury was treated by open reduction with a fair result. A unique case of iliac dislocation 11 months postinjury, overlooked due to an associated femoral shaft fracture, was treated by valgus/derotation osteotomy. Two obturator dislocations 7.5 and 9.5 months postinjury were treated by a subcapital osteotomy and displacement of the femoral neck into the acetabulum (modified excision arthroplasty). Both of these patients had fairly stable, painless, and mobile hips at 2.1 and 2.8 years follow-up. By our method, subsequent total hip arthroplasty remains a viable option, in contrast to the previously described method of trochanteric osteotomy, whereby the proximal femoral anatomy is distorted.