Traumatic hip dislocation in childhood

Eighteen cases of traumatic dislocations of the hip in children under 15 years of age presenting between 1985 and 1995 were reviewed. Fifteen of the dislocations were posterior. There were two groups: a younger group dislocating with minimal trauma and an older group whose injuries involved significantly more trauma. All patients were treated by closed reduction, but two required open reduction because of intraarticular fragments preventing a full reduction. On long-term follow-up of the 16 available patients (average length of follow-up, 5 years 10 months; range, 17-132), there were no cases of avascular necrosis or early degenerative change.