Historical vignette #8. General Ulysses S. Grant's hip fracture

Many biographers have discussed the throat cancer that plagued General Ulysses S. Grant toward the end of his life. However, little attention has been focused on his orthopaedic problems. On Christmas Eve in 1883, Grant slipped on an icy walk and fell. Following this accident he was bedridden for weeks and orthopaedically disabled for the remainder of his life. Although biographers have documented this incident, the outcome of the accident has been variously attributed to a sprain, muscle rupture, or simply a lack of exercise. The history of the injury and the nature of the symptoms and disability, which suggest that the General may have sustained a hip fracture, are reviewed with a discussion of the state of hip fracture diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis taken from the textbooks of the period.