Hip Dislocation

A dislocated hip can be a very painful experience that requires medical intervention as soon as possible. The hip joint is located where the femoral end of the thighbone is joined to the hipbone socket. When the bone is dislocated it is pushed or forced out of the socket, most often the result of a collision between the knee and something hard – the ground, a wall, the helmet of another football player, and any number of other situations. A dislocation is also common after a car crash, as the knee is pushed fast at the dashboard, pushing the thighbone out of place.

Except for a bone fracture of some kind, however, any joint dislocation, from a medical point of view, is focused on ligaments, tendons, and other soft tissue that is damaged when the bone is dislocated. Flexible soft tissue, such as a ligament, can be overstretched and tear when a joint is pushed out of place.

Symptoms

• Groin pain

• Leg pain or numbness

• Overheated skin (from swelling underneath)

• Numbness in the feet

What to do …

Your physician at FXRX will first order X-rays or use another imaging machine to get a look at your hip socket. After that, you may be mildly sedated while the physician manipulates the thighbone back into place. One that is done – that step is called a reduction – the main concern will be healing the soft tissue that held the joint together in the first place.

The aim, of course, is to have the healing take place without long-term damage. This may take some time, as ligaments can be slow to heal. Part of the reason for the slow healing is the point that you will likely be moving your hip as soon as possible.

Talk to a physician at FXRX to find the right hip brace mean to immobilize a hip joint while it heals. It is unlikely you will re-injure the hip in the same manner, but in the early stages of healing your soft tissue will not be as strong as before, leaving you vulnerable to a repeated incident, although certainly, your doctor is trying to reduce the odds on that as much as possible.

If X-rays reveal considerable damage to ligaments in the area, your physician might suggest an arthroscopy procedure. This is considered a minimally invasive operation that requires a very small incision and insertion of very small equipment that can allow the physician to see your soft tissue structure and how much damage has been done.

 During an arthroscopy procedure, the physician can also insert medical devices that manipulate ligaments directly to repair the damage done.

Healing from a hip dislocation can take several months with movement range growing slowly but surely. You can work with a physical therapist to learn how to get around despite this injury. A brace may be recommended and a physical therapist can help you learn how to put one on and make use of it.