Hip Dislocation

Hip Dislocation Treatment in Kansas City, MO


Hip dislocations are among the most common and painful injuries in senior citizens. However, they’re also common in people of younger ages, especially those active in sports. A hip dislocation occurs when the ball of the femur bone is forced out of the socket of the acetabulum. Most of the time, when this happens, the femur is forced backward out of the socket, but there are rare cases when it’s dislocated in a forward direction. 

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Common Causes of Hip Dislocation

Hip dislocations can happen for a variety of reasons, but they all boil down to two leading causes – disease or trauma. Traumatic hip dislocations occur because enough force is applied to the femur to knock it out of the acetabulum socket. This can happen because of contact sports such as football, hockey, soccer, lacrosse, and a variety of others. It can also occur from a car accident or a fall, the most common cause of hip dislocations in the elderly.

Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip

If the hip dislocation isn’t caused by trauma, it’s most likely the result of a disease, namely developmental dysplasia of the hip. Developmental dysplasia of the hip occurs in infants when the hip joint fails to form properly. The exact reasons that developmental dysplasia occurs aren’t completely known, but the result is an unstable hip joint that’s prone to dislocating.

Signs and Symptoms of Hip Dislocations

There are several signs and symptoms associated with hip dislocations, the main one being excruciating pain in the affected area. Let’s look at a few of the other symptoms accompanying this hip pain.

  • Muscle spasms in the hip area 
  • Swelling and redness in the area of the dislocation 
  • Your leg on the dislocated side will be turned slightly inward or outward 
  • You won’t be able to move or put weight on the affected leg 
  • You’ll lose feeling in the affected leg 

Recovering from a hip fracture injury is extremely difficult and takes a long time, with lots of bed rest. These conditions can occur due to injury, recovery, or even surgery complications.

Treatment for Hip Dislocations

Hip dislocations are serious issues, and they’re treated with one of three methods or some combinations of the three.

Urgent Care

Getting your hip fixed quickly and by a medical professional is of utmost importance. If you have a dislocated hip, you should call 911 immediately and get to the nearest emergency room. Hip dislocations can cause secondary problems and nerve damage. Whether or not you’ve suffered a secondary injury will determine the course of corrective action that needs to be taken.

Hip Reduction

A hip reduction is simply when the hip can be put into place through sheer force. This is extremely painful and only possible when it’s been determined that there aren’t any secondary injuries. You’ll likely need some form of anesthesia to tolerate the pain of a hip reduction.

Hip Surgery

If there’s a secondary injury to the nerves, blood vessels, or surrounding muscles, you’ll likely require hip surgery. The surgery will be performed by an orthopedic surgeon specially trained in these types of injuries. Surgery is also the treatment option of choice in infants with developmental dysplasia of the hip.

The only way to determine what type of intervention is necessary is to get to a hospital as quickly as possible. Hip corrections have the best chance of succeeding when performed within the first two hours of the injury.

Hip Dislocation Doctors

If you have any of the symptoms mentioned above, please contact Orthopedic Health of Kansas City and make an appointment with one of our Kansas City hip and pelvis specialists. They will perform a complete examination, diagnosing and ultimately treating any problem. From simple physical therapy to complicated surgery, you’re in good hands with Orthopedic Health of Kansas City and we will do what it takes to get you active again.