[Hip dislocation without bone injuries]

Dislocation of the hip is rare and so we regard every hip dislocation as an emergency until it has been reduced. From 1977 to 1996 a total of 82 patients with hip dislocation were treated at the Traumatic Surgery Clinic, University of Vienna, Austria. The average age at injury was 29 years. Some 77 patients had unilateral dislocation of the hip, but only in 5 cases was bilateral dislocation found. Iliac dislocation was most common (54 patients). Our treatment consisted in reduction within 6 h of the injury under general anaesthesia (Böhler) and 14 days bedrest. Then the patients were mobilized with full weight bearing, depending on the pain. Of the patients 29 had no clinical infirmities, 8 patients reported temporarily occurring pain and in 6 patients we found a limited range of movement in the hip joint with occasional pain. In all, 43 patients were followed up after 1/2 to 19 years. Radiological signs were seen in 17 patients and avascular necrosis of the femoral head in 1. So after careful evaluation of the patients and the kind of treatment, we recommend the following: 1. Immediate, gentle reduction of the hip joint; 2. Bedrest for 14 days; 3. Early mobilization with full weight bearing.