Hip Dislocations in the Emergency Department: A Review of Reduction Techniques

Hip dislocations are a common presentation in the Emergency Department (ED) and require urgent reduction to reduce the risk of avascular necrosis. Over 90% of all dislocations can successfully be reduced in the ED and there is evidence that cases awaiting operative reduction result in significant delays.

While there is limited data comparing specific techniques, the individual success rates of most maneuvers range from 60-90%. Additionally, each technique has distinct advantages and limitations associated with its use.

It is important for Emergency Physicians to be familiar with several different reduction techniques in case the initial reduction attempt is unsuccessful or patient characteristics limit the use of certain maneuvers. This article reviews a number of reduction techniques for hip dislocations, variations on these techniques, and advantages and disadvantages for each approach.