Posterior dislocation of the hip associated with ipsilateral trochanteric fracture--a very rare case

Hip dislocations are a frequent consequence of traffic accidents. Commonly, the knee hits the car board and the force of the impact leads to either a fracture of the femur or a dislocation of the hip. The dislocation occurs if the femur does not break and the force of the impact is transmitted towards the hip joint leading to a posterior dislocation of the femoral head. We present the case of a 41 year old patient involved in a traffic accident that suffered a knee injury. Clinical and imagistic (radiography, CT) examination revealed a trochanteric fracture associated with a posterior hip dislocation. Such associations are very rare and can be explained by an extremely powerful force of impact that generated the two lesions simultaneously. Open reduction of the dislocation was performed after handling the superior femoral extremity with the aid of an instrument that was introduced through the fracture site. After the dislocation was treated, the trochanteric fracture was reduced and fixation was obtained with a Dynamic Hip Screw. The case is important not only because of its extreme rarity but also because of the chosen treatment method. Few similar cases are quoted in present literature.