The Trend in the Management of Traumatic Hip Dislocation in Qatar: A Retrospective Observational Study

Abstract

Aim: Traumatic hip dislocation is a severe orthopedic injury that demands urgent reduction to decrease the long-term complications. This study aimed to assess the outcomes and describe the epidemiological profile of adult’s traumatic hip dislocation in Qatar.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted for 56 patients who were treated in a level I trauma center from January 2010 to December 2013. Charts and radiographs were reviewed to analyze the demographic data of patients, type of dislocation, associated injuries, timing, modality of treatment, and early and late outcomes.

Results: The mean age of patients was 33.5 years old and 98.2% were males. The most common cause of injury was motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) (76.8%). The posterior dislocation of the hip was the most common injury (85.7%). Associated injuries occurred in 82% of patients, hip fractures being the most frequent. The time span between injury and reduction of dislocation was ranging from 1 to 14.5 hours. less than 6 hours in 85% of patients, 6-12 hours in 10% and more than 12 hours in 5%. 98.2% of patients underwent closed reduction. 10.6% of patients developed osteoarthritic changes, 1.8% had sciatic nerve palsy, and there were no reported cases of avascular necrosis (AVN) of the hip.

Conclusions: This study demonstrated that the traumatic hip dislocation affected mostly young adult males, with MVC being the most common cause of injury. The posterior dislocation of the hip was the most frequent type with high prevalence of associated injuries. Closed reduction was performed and the timing of reduction was less than 12 hours in the vast majority of patients. At an average of 2 years follow-up, no cases of avascular necrosis of the hip were encountered, however, long-term follow-up are required to assess the late outcome of dislocation.